Tandemonai
by the Divine Nataku
Summary: RepostxRewrite: Kagome arrives to a Sengoku Jidai she hoped she'd never see. RxR onegaishimasu Updated!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes - Yeah, I finally decided to get off my duff and place this fic under my account where it belonged. Unfortunately, by deleting it from Miss Chang Po's account, I lost all my reviews and such. :sniffles: They made me so happy... But in any case, I guess you can say this fic is under revision, as I'm certain will find things I wish to change and/or correct as I repost it. Nonetheless, feel free to review and offer any comments you'd like. I'd be most happy.

Mucho hugz!

**Inu Yasha: A feudal fairytale**

in

"Tandemonai"

Chapter 1

Mrs. Higurashi headed down the stairs of the family's quaint little home with a small sigh. Her third attempt to coax her young daughter, Higurashi Kagome, out her room had proved futile.

Her eldest child had arrived home a few short hours ago without a word to anyone, quickly shutting herself off from the rest of the house.

Saying she had been angry would have been an understatement.

"Oh dear," Mrs. Higurashi sighed once again, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. Perhaps she should consider getting it cut again; it was starting to get a bit unmanageable.

She found herself taking one last glance at the door of her daughter's room. She was an astounding individual, whether she knew it or not. Not every mother could say her eldest child was the reincarnation of an ancient and powerful priestess. What's more, no one Mrs. Higurashi knew could say their daughter took frequent excursions to the Sengoku Jidai via an old well in their shrine to search for shards to a jewel that had once been under her charge; in her previous life, that is.

Still, despite all that, Mrs. Higurashi was proud of her daughter - not only for taking the responsibility to complete the task given her, but managing to do so without ever complaining… much. The girl did have her difficulties, many of which having to do with a certain hanyou she was now associating herself with.

The single mother had been greatly concerned at the situation her daughter had gotten herself into upon meeting the young man with youkai blood running through his veins. Her concerns hadn't been unfounded, of course – she'd spent the last 20 years living in a shrine – having a demon trounce into her home demanding her daughter leave with him was enough to put any parent into a panic. However, her fears were quickly abated – yes, the boy was gruff, but she knew within minutes of meeting him that Inu Yasha would never willing allow any harm to befall her daughter. It was obvious to her that he cared far more for her than he was willing to admit.

She shook her head; it hadn't taken long at all for him to fall for Kagome… it was something about the Higurashi charm that just roped people in so quickly. Of course, even more prominent than that was the obstinacy that her daughter seemed to possess that always had her at odds with her dog-eared friend.

At the thought, Mrs. Higurashi grinned, shaking her head slightly. What kind of argument had they managed to get themselves into now?

0 Several hours earlier 0

Inu Yasha's amber eyes flashed angrily. "I told you," he ground out, being sure to bare his fangs. "Leave me alone!"

Kagome, having never been frightened of his youkai attributes, refused to be deterred. "I don't have to listen to you!" she shot back, glaring him in the eye. "I'm not afraid of you and you know it!"

Normally such a comment would have made Inu Yasha feel better, but today it only served to make him even angrier than before. Clenching his fists at his side, he shook his head in disbelief. "Not afraid of me? Stupid wench, you damn well better be afraid of me! Or--"

"Or what?" Kagome folded her arms over her chest. He seemed a bit startled at first, but before he could make any sort of comment, she cut him off. "Look, Inu Yasha, I know you're upset about what happened." He made no move to respond. The young priestess lowered her arms, moving towards him. "Really, I understand."

Something snapped in him. He tried to hold it in; really, he did. After managing to calm himself down out of one of his youkai rages, losing his temper was not something he needed to be doing. However, the last thing he wanted other than that was Kagome showing sympathy for him. Someone like him did not deserve sympathy, especially from someone like her.

Unfortunately, he was too angry with himself to express any of this to the young priestess. After all, that sort of thing had never been his forte. As soon as the words left her mouth, he reacted, roughly shoving her away from him.

Sango and Miroku, who had been spectators up until that moment, moved forward to catch Kagome before she hit the ground. Steadying her, they all turned to him with confused and questioning glares.

"Inu Yasha," Miroku was the first to speak in a chiding tone. "Surely that was unnecessary."

"Shut it, bouzu," Inu Yasha countered, glancing away from him. He glanced back at Kagome. "And you… don't you dare try forcing your sympathy on me. I don't want your pity and I sure as hell don't need it. And don't think you have any idea what I have to put up with - you don't understand shit!"

For several moments, as Inu Yasha went through his tirade, Kagome could only blink. However, the moment he closed his mouth, she shoved away from the monk and exterminator, closing the distance between herself and the hanyou in angry, purposeful strides. The other two humans made no attempt to stop her.

Things were about to get ugly.

Kagome strode up to Inu Yasha, her blue gray eyes flashed dangerously. Opening her mouth, she uttered the one word she knew would put him in his place. "Osuwari!"

Like clockwork, the rosary round Inu Yasha's neck came to life, hurtling him to the ground. Hurt flashed over his face a brief moment, quickly covered up by anger. "Bitch!"

The young miko, however, had noticed. Guilt quickly flooded through her as she remembered the several injuries he had sustained in their recent battle. They weren't major, but enough to cause significant pain in the event of a sudden subduing. "Inu Yasha."

Once the spell wore off, he sat up, looking away from her. Absently his hand went to the beads encircling his neck. "Don't apologize to me," he said in a low tone, startling her. "I don't deserve it." He let out a humorless laugh, staring at the clinking beads in his palm. "This damned thing is the only thing that kept you alive."

Yet again, they had been attacked by a youkai possessing a shard of the Shikon no Tama. They had fought a valiant fight until Inu Yasha had been knocked unconscious by the blow of one of the youkai's many tails. Quick to act, Kagome had rushed to defend him only to put herself directly in the path of one of its claws. Reacting to her danger, Inu Yasha not only woke up, but transformed into a full youkai. He made quick work of the youkai, yes, but still lusting for rage he had tried to attack the nearest thing to him - Kagome.

She slowly knelt down next to him, quickly putting the past events from her mind. "Maybe," she replied trying to placate him. "But I didn't have to do it just now." She lowered her head slightly in shame. "Just because you lost your temper doesn't mean I have to lose mine, too."

Inu Yasha shook his head. How was it she could change her tune so quickly? She was asking him for forgiveness now? After he had nearly ripped her to ribbons? No... he had to stay angry; he couldn't let himself say what he really felt.

So as always, he put on his fiercest glare, his teeth bared in an angry scowl. "You could have died, Kagome!" he exclaimed. The young girl didn't seem at all phased by this piece of information. "Don't you get it yet? I'm frickin' dangerous!"

"So are all the other youkai we come across," she countered. "And they're even more dangerous because they're all trying to use the Shikon no Tama for evil."

"You're wrong," Inu Yasha stood up. "Stupid wench, you don't have any idea how wrong you are!"

Okay, so maybe that did sound a little dumb... but did he have to keep calling her stupid? It didn't really secure any ideals of their friendship in Kagome's mind.

"So, what do you want me to do, Inu Yasha?" Kagome asked, rising as well. Again, her temper was getting the better of her, but it couldn't be helped. Inu Yasha, as always, was trying to push her buttons and she knew they were both aware of it.

Screwing her face into a determined glare that rivaled her hanyou companion's own, Kagome held her ground. "You know I can't leave," she continued. "It's my responsibility to collect the shards, isn't it?"

"It's your frickin' fault we have to do this anyway!" Inu Yasha snapped back. Seeing her step back in surprise only fueled him even more. "And it's not like we really need you here anyway."

"Inu Yasha!" Sango and Shippo exclaimed in unison.

Inu Yasha didn't hear them, didn't see them. The only thing in front of him was Kagome, her clothes dirty and torn, and her arms bandaged - his own dirty work. He felt sick on the inside; he'd raised his hand against her - Kagome, HIS Kagome - the one he'd sworn to protect. Even now, he caused her further injury with his cruel, biting words. He needed to get her away from him - at least until he could figure out how to keep himself in control. If he ever lost control and hurt her again...

"So, you're doing it again," she replied quietly. "You don't want me here, so you're pushing me away." She glared up at him. "What, you're not going to trick me this time and push me down the well? I'll go over to it if you'd like...why not stab me in the back this time before pushing me in, you big jerk? That way I'll _never_ come back!"

Inu Yasha blinked in surprise. He certainly hadn't expected this kind of reaction. "Shut up!" he exclaimed. "I-I never said anything about staying away forever!"

"Well… oh well, I don't care!" Kagome countered, feeling incredibly foolish. "I'm going anyway! And I hope I never see you again!"

The others blinked in surprise.

"Ka-kagome." Shippo stammered with wide, watery eyes. "You don't mean that do you...?"

"Don't listen to Inu Yasha, Kagome-chan," Sango piped in, trying to dissuade her from making a hasty decision. "You're needed here, and not just because of the Shikon no Tama!"

Inu Yasha remained still, stunned into complete silence.

"I'm sorry, Shippo-chan, Sango-chan, Miroku-sama," The young priestess turned from them, mounting her bicycle. It took every ounce of will power to keep from crying. For she knew that if she did, she would wind up sobbing like a baby in the arms of one of the others and that just could not be allowed.

A little voice snickered in the back of her mind. _You're just afraid you'd end up crying in Inu Yasha's arms_, it teased. _Then what would your hanyou think of you then?_

'_Well, at least we don't have to worry about that anymore._' Kagome thought to herself. She was aware that the others were still waiting for her to speak. She gave them one last glance, a very sad but resolute look on her face. "I just can't do this anymore."

With that she removed the chain that bound the hunk of the Shikon no Tama from her neck, tossing it to the ground. She then pushed up the kickstand on her bicycle and began pedaling away. "See ya."

Miroku picked up the shard, turning to face Inu Yasha. "If you act now, you can beat her there and make amends,"

Inu Yasha did not move.

"Inu Yasha, why are you still standing there?" Sango demanded. "You're letting her get away!"

Still, the hanyou did not respond.

"Stupid!" Shippo latched himself onto the hanyou's head, pulling at his hair as viciously as his little paws would allow. "Stupid, stupid Inu Yasha! Go after her!" Fat tears were rolling down his cheeks, into the white hair beneath him, but Inu Yasha didn't notice. "Go after her! Go after her or we'll never see Kagome ever again!"

Inu Yasha slowly blinked, his gaze wandering from the shard in Miroku's hands from the bicycle fading into the distance as the last of the young kitsune's words sank into his head.

_We'll never see Kagome ever again. _

00

Yes, Mrs. Higurashi thought to herself, there was no doubt in her mind that Kagome's current mood could somehow be attributed to him and an argument that had most likely split them apart yet again - whether intentionally or not. Shaking her head again, she sighed heavily. It was so obvious - the two of them were like an old squabbling couple. Too proud to admit either of them are wrong, and too stubborn to be the first to apologize.

Staring at the door of her daughter's room, she hoped they'd resolve their differences soon – it was so obvious that they didn't like being separated from each other. Besides, who could stay mad at Inu Yasha for long? His ears were just too cute!

00

"Ass!" Kagome's pillow hurtled through the air, landing on the other side of the room with a soft thump. Unfortunately, during its descent, it bumped into a vase, which tipped over a lamp, which landed on top of her backpack, spilling its contents to the ground.

The young priestess noticed none of this however. Making ready to toss her remaining pillow, she paused when she noticed the contents of her bag on the floor. Sighing heavily, she lowered herself off of her bed, over to where her belongings lay.

'_Sheesh…can't I throw a fit without making a complete mess? I'm pathetic!_'

Putting her belongings back together, she set her pack in her desk chair. She began to walk away but she stopped, turning back towards her bag once again.

It wasn't nearly as packed as before, but she hadn't expected to be gone that long this time around. Besides, Inu Yasha had always said she packed too much when carrying her bag out of the well.

She paused, the irate hanyou immediately coming to mind. Kagome shook her head, forcing the image back down. Her heart hurt so badly but she refused to acknowledge it. Why should she anyway? It wasn't like he cared what she thought or felt. He didn't even want her around!

'_He doesn't want me there… so why should I bother? Nothing is worth this.' _She flopped down on her mattress, watching the ceiling fan twirl overhead. A soft breeze came in from outside her window, soothing her nerves only slightly. As she closed her eyes, white hair and amber eyes came into view.

The image wavered slightly. Kagome clenched her eyes shut tighter to push it away…or was it to hold onto it? "Inu Yasha..."

"_...don't you dare try forcing your sympathy on me! I don't want your pity and I sure as hell don't need it. And don't think you have any idea what I have to put up with - you don't understand shit!_"

Kagome opened her eyes, their depths filled with sadness. "Inu Yasha," she repeated softly, keeping her gaze on the ceiling fan. The hanyou before her eyes seemed to only regard her with contempt and disdain. "You never seem to notice how much you mean to me."

With a wave of her hand, the image vanished from her view. "But if I ever see you again." With a resigned sigh, Kagome rose to join the rest of her family for dinner. Her mother had gone to great lengths to make Oden, after all. The door clicked shut behind her, her words ringing in the empty air.

"If I ever see you again… it'll be too soon."

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

Tandemonai

Chapter 2

Kagome's pack hit the well-house floor with a good thump, sending light clouds of dust rising about her ankles.

Mrs. Higurashi regarded her daughter with curiosity. "Is something wrong, dear?" she asked softly.

Kagome glanced back behind her with wide eyes. Her mother, grandfather, and brother stood at the door to the well house, waiting for a response. Obviously they could not sense what she could. After all, they weren't the reincarnation of a 500 some-odd year priestess, she was.

"Something." she trailed off, unsure of how to word it. "Something is off with the well."

She stared at the wooden structure in front of her, and the strange aura surrounding it, emanating off of it. Had it been tampered with somehow? Was such a thing even possible? Kagome frowned slightly; she couldn't tell if it she was sensing was malevolent or not.

"Really?" Souta bounded up next to her, peering down into the dark depths. The young boy had always found the Bone Eater's well to be a bit foreboding - especially since the day it swallowed up his older sister - and could find nothing out of the ordinary about it today. "It looks like the same spooky old well to me."

"Be careful, Souta." Mrs. Higurashi cautioned in a tone that belonged solely to that of a worried mother.

"Yes, mom!" he called out before looking away again. It seemed that the youngest Higurashi's attention was focused solely on the well, diverting every so often to his older sister. "What is it, Sis?" he asked, his tone full of wonder. "Is it a youkai like before? The centipede... or the Noh mask?"

"Demons here in the shrine? Again!" Kagome's grandfather looked as though he were going to have a coronary. He immediately rushed off in search of his _ofuda_.

Kagome shook her head slowly, trying not to show her amusement at her grandfather's antics. She turned back to her brother. "No, Souta," she replied, much to his disappointment. "It's not a youkai. It just feels off." _At least… I think so…_

"If it's unsafe," Mrs. Higurashi replied. "Should you be going into it?"

Her daughter sighed heavily. "I'm not sure."

"She has to go!" Souta exclaimed, tugging on the sleeve of her uniform encouragingly. "Inu-no-niichan hasn't come to get her yet!"

Kagome stiffened involuntarily. This action, however, went unnoticed by her mother and brother.

_"Don't you get it yet? I'm frickin' dangerous!" _

Mrs. Higurashi was tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I can't help but be a bit concerned," she replied. In response, Kagome gave her mother a 'huh' look. "He hasn't been by for almost 3 weeks now."

That was indeed true, Kagome thought to herself. Granted, they hadn't parted under what most would consider being the best of terms - heck, none of their arguments had ever gone so badly.

However, after a week's time, things had always gone back to normal, and yet, after so long there was still no sign of the hanyou. What had gone wrong?

Her mother's face took on a wistful look. "I miss his little ears - they're so cute!" Kagome fell over. '_Can he do no wrong in her eyes!_' she wondered to herself.

However, once she really thought about it, it was no surprise her mother seemed to be so smitten with the brash hanyou. As often as the pair alternated time periods, the Higurashis seemed to have inducted InuYasha into their family as if it were a natural thing to do. Why wouldn't it be? His real mother had died when he was younger and his only living relative - his half brother - walked around with a sword whose sole desire was to cleave him in two. Even before revealing this information to her family, they had already taken it upon themselves to welcome the gruff hanyou into their fold.

And despite how irritated he may have appeared to be about it, deep down Kagome knew that Inu Yasha seemed to enjoy Mrs. Higurashi's motherly doting and Souta's big- brother-hero-worship. Like she, they didn't seem to mind that he was half- demon - in fact they seemed more enamored by him because of it. And as for her grandfather, well... Kagome wasn't sure what type of relationship the two had but she was sure they enjoyed to constant battle of wills that always seemed to be waging between them.

_"And I hope I never see you again!" _

Kagome stared down at the ground, imagining herself as the dirt beneath her shoes. She winced inwardly as her parting words echoed in her head. '_Now I feel bad. Should I have been so hard on him...?_' She thought back to the look of surprise that had flashed in his eyes as she had retaliated on him. It was almost as if she had announced his death sentence.

'_I shouldn't have said that to him._' Kagome bit her lip thoughtfully. '_It's not that I didn't want to see him again. I do want to see him again. Wait, I do?_'

"Kagome?" Kagome glanced back at her mother, who was holding her pack out to her. Once she took it out of her grasp, Mrs. Higurashi smiled back at her gently. "Do you know how I always tell you and your brother when you fight to never go to bed angry?" Kagome nodded. "The same thing applies here." She giggled lightly at her daughter's confusion. "Whatever happened between you and Inu Yasha should be resolved once you get back - friendships like that are too important to let go of so easily, ne?"

Her daughter could only blink for a few moments. '_Inu Yasha and I are friends...?_' she puzzled to herself. She thought briefly on all the moments they had shared, just the two of them, and how comfortable she had always felt with him. '_Yeah…we are._' A slow smile crept its way across her face at the look of understanding on her mother's face. How is it that mothers seemed to know everything?

'_Mama's right. I've got to make things right between us_,' She slung her pack over her shoulder, clamoring over the side of the well. _'Before it's too late!_' Hanging onto to the ladder leading down into the well, she spared one more glance at her mother and brother. "Gotta go guys, see you later!"

"Bye, Kagome." Mrs. Higurashi waved pleasantly, as seeing her daughter jump into a bottomless well had already become commonplace. "Take care!"

"G'bye, Sis!" Souta called, watching his sister disappear into the darkness. "Say hi to Inu Yasha for me!" With that, she was gone.

00

If Kagome had had a bad hunch standing on her side of the well, it certainly was confirmed once she vanished from her family's sight. Traveling through the time warp within the well, Kagome felt aura of hostility all around her. The usual blue and purple lights of the time warp that usually surrounded her were replaced splotches and black and red, intermixed with surges of electricity. Before Kagome had time to fear being torn apart, however, her feet had already touched ground at the bottom of the well.

She dropped to her hands and knees, breathing and shaking heavily. Never in her entire experience in the Bone Eater's well had she ever experienced anything like that! She stared down at her hands, and the dirt being clenched in between her fingers. Just what had happened anyway?

'_I hope I don't have to go through that again,_' she murmured to herself. '_Not even going in the first time - being yanked down by a 30-foot centipede-youkai - was that frightening!_' Having regained her bearings, Kagome stood up and brushed herself off, deciding to discuss the matter with Kaede when she reached the village.

00

She couldn't find the village. Retracing her steps for the third time, Kagome scratched her head in confusion. Setting her pack down at her feet, she turned around, surveying her surroundings.

"Now, this is weird." she murmured aloud. "Could they have moved the well?" She paused, tapping herself on the head for her stupidity. "Kagome, don't be silly … that's impossible!"

The wind blew, whipping her hair and clothes about her wildly. Shivering, Kagome wondered for the umpteenth time why she always insisted upon wearing her school uniform to the Sengoku Jidai.

'_It's in case you get caught coming out of the well_,' she told herself, again for the umpteenth time. '_Still, I bet I'd be a lot warmer if I had Inu Yasha's haori_.'

Blushing at the implications of that train of thought, Kagome picked up her pack and forced herself to get back to the task as at hand - finding the village. She did not, however, notice the small tear that had appeared on her sleeve.

Upon finally finding the village, Kagome found herself wishing she hadn't. What lay before her was not the quaint, but always bustling farming community she had come to know. What lay before was not even a pale comparison!

Huts lay in shambles; charred and crumbling frames and skeletons that always seemed to be filled with people lay abandoned and forgotten. Trees and carts lay battered and over turned, in and on top of houses that had somehow managed to defy the law of gravity and remain standing. Like a ghost town, a cruel wind blew through the village, scattering dirt and debris among the ground.

Had it been anywhere else, Kagome would have scoured the area for survivors. Unfortunately, the courage and devotion she usually possessed in such situations had fled her. This place – this place had been like a second home to her. It WAS a second home to her. She hadn't the heart to venture in, and deep down she knew it would have been a wasted effort on her part.

The village, her poor village, was gone. Lay to waste just like that; she couldn't believe what she was seeing. How could such a lively place, that had been alive not even three weeks ago, be reduced to such shambles? It had to be mistake.

"A mistake," Kagome murmured to herself, like a mantra of sorts. "It's got to be a mistake… one big mistake."

But what could she do to make it right?

"The well!" Her mind instantly went back to the turbulence she had experienced coming through the well. She had known something wasn't right; it had to be the cause of all of this!

Kagome quickly turned on her heels, racing fast as she could back to the well. However, she had only managed to go so far when a vicious wind picked up, lifting the young priestess off of her feet. Before she could discern what was happening however, she was dropped cruelly to the ground.

The wind effectively knocked out of her lungs, Kagome lay dazed on her back a few moments before realizing she was not alone. Looking upwards, she found herself at the feet of a very menacing looking youkai.

She quickly scrambled to her feet, backing away as fast as she could. "Y- youkai!"

The youkai, a female with pointed ears and hair pulled up in a bun/ponytail, regarded her with a look of disdain. "How observant of you," she remarked. "And you are human, which means you now die."

Raising her hand, she procured a feather out of nowhere. Waving it through the air, the youkai created a powerful gust of wind that once again sent Kagome sailing through the air. She hit the ground this time twice as hard as before, succumbing to unconsciousness.

The youkai, Kagura the wind demon, approached her unconscious body, preparing to finish her off. "She didn't even put up a fight," she murmured to herself. "How pitiful-" She paused, staring down at the girl before her. "It can't be!" She leaned forward, sniffing at the prone form before her.

Kagome groaned slightly but did not awaken.

Kagura frowned, debating over something in her head. When she had seemingly made her decision, she hefted Kagome onto her shoulders. Producing a rather large feather, she hopped upon it and took off into the night sky.

Naraku would be very surprised indeed.

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note – Yes, I admit I have been lazy at reposting this, although I find my family's computer is nowhere near as reliable as I would like it to be.

Miss Chang Po – Much like my laptop was supposed to be, ne?

Uhh… I guess… although yours never was that reliable to begin with…

Miss Chang Po – It was, too::squeals when it boots up only to freeze and crash once more: AAarrrghhh! Damn you, you infernal hunk of plastic and microfibers and :blinks as it comes on and then crashes again: CUUUURSESSSSS!

:remains silent, not quite sure how to process this reaction: Uh huh…. Um, yeah, Chapter 3, guys… enjoy…

Miss Chang Po - :turns to her, blinking innocently: What?

Chapter 3

When Kagome awoke, she expected the whole ordeal she had experienced to be a bad dream - a figment of her imagination.

However, it was not to be true; she was still in the Sengoku Jidai, and to top it all off, she was trapped.

The wind demon, Kagura, had knocked her out and whisked her off to some unknown location, locking her in a dark room while she presumably decided what would be done with her.

_'Not to mention she totally destroyed my school uniform_,' she thought to herself in the darkness of her cell. Feeling the torn cloth in her fingertips, Kagome sighed heavily. It just wasn't fair; no matter how hard she tried to cover all the bases, somehow she'd always ended up messing things up. She'd just have to suck it up, she decided – once she got home, she'd have to ask her mother to order yet another set for her - this one was way beyond repair…

At that, she paused, realization hitting her. She had been captured by a youkai right outside of the village. The village had been completely destroyed. As far as she had seen from the damage she'd surveyed, there had been no survivors. There was no one to help her.

Even if by some fluke she managed to escape, what was she going to do really? Her powers relied on her solely on her arrows as a conduit and she was almost certain those had been left behind in what remained of the village. She had no idea where she was or how to get back to the well. Dropping down to her knees, she buried her face in her shirt as tears began to fall.

'_Guys,_' she sobbed silently to herself. '_Where are you?_'

"Now here is something I would never expect,"

Kagome went still, feeling her blood freeze in her veins. Lifting her head from her uniform, she felt as though the room had suddenly gotten darker and colder.

"The great and powerful spiritual warrior... reduced to tears like a young child."

Her grey eyes went wide, darting back and forth. '_That voice_,' she felt herself grow smaller. '_Oh God, please don't let it be..._'

Like magic, a dim light flooded the room, casting Kagome in an unearthly glow. She stared down at her clothing in horror. A white gi and a pair of long, red hakama...

...the garb of a priestess.

Feeling eyes upon her, Kagome looked forward to the figure in front of her. Clothed head to toe in white fur, her host donned the mask of a baboon...

Her uniform dropped from her hands. "Naraku,"

The baboon mask was removed, revealing the shaggy black hair and soulless eyes of the once-human thief, Onigumo, now known and revered as Naraku. A few moments passed as he studied, taking in her features with a mask of neutrality. However, seconds later he smirked pleasantly at the young girl before him, sitting down several feet away from her.

"While am pleased to see you, I must admit I am very surprised," he murmured softly, the smirk still present on his cold features. "How many times must I kill you before you remain dead in your grave, dear Kikyo?"

At the mention of her predecessor, Kagome not only regained her voice, but her temper as well. Oh, if only she had had her arrows! She stood up, fixing her captor with an angry glare.

"First off," she exclaimed, gritting her teeth. "I'm not dead, and second of all, I am not... I _repeat _- _not_ Kikyo. How many times must we go through this before you get it through your evil, sadistic head?"

Naraku regarded her with a look of surprise before quickly replacing it with one of extreme pleasure. He closed his eyes, letting out a low chuckle. "Ah, the reincarnation, Kagome," He opened his eyes, leveling her with a calm gaze. Kagome resisted the urge to shudder. "How could I have been mistaken? I do hope you will forgive my error."

Had he been anyone else, Kagome may have. If only she had taken her quiver with her; she would have given anything for just one arrow!

Her captor, however, was not finished speaking. "We all know of course, that you are the more favorable... as opposed to your archaic other-half."

Kagome frowned. Kikyo, if anything, was not her 'other-half'. She directed her expression of displeasure towards him. "You say I'm the more favorable half, and yet you kidnapped me thinking I was her!"

Naraku chuckled again. What was it he found so amusing about this situation?

"My dear girl, you are mistaken," he replied. "My servant, Kagura, did bring you to me under the pretense that you were Kikyo. That is the only reason you were not killed on sight." He smirked again. "However, I had no intention of capturing Kikyo." His expression turned to one of boredom. "I've no need for a woman who has been dead nearly a century."

Kagome blinked. "Wait a minute..." Evil, maniacal villain though he was, the dark hanyou should have been better at math. Something didn't quite add up. "What do you mean Kikyo's been dead nearly a century?" she asked. "It's only been 50 years since you killed Kikyo!"

Once again, Naraku looked surprised. And she had once thought nothing would faze him - short of being blown in half by an arrow shot by a 15 year-old reincarnation from 500 years in the future, of course...

"Once again, you are mistaken," he replied. He smirked once again. "But then again, I'm not surprised. This explains much." He gave her a once over. "Given the circumstances, you should not even be here - looking the way you are now."

"What are you talking about?" Kagome balked. Deep feeling of dread was worming its way into her gut. The way he had been looking at her certainly wasn't helping either.

"I had always wondered what had happened to you," he murmured, as if ignoring her completely. "To be quite truthful, I had missed you - seeing your reaction when I gained dominion over this land would have been so..." He closed his eyes, as if experiencing some unknown pleasure. "Exquisite."

Kagome felt her knees give way beneath her. Her eyes widened in disbelief as Naraku's next words wormed their way into her heart.

"You see, Kagome, I've won."

It couldn't be; there was no way it could be true. The words fell from her lips, holding none of the venom she had intended. "You're lying."

Naraku smirked again. "Am I?"

"There's no way," Kagome shook her head slowly. "There's no way we could have lost to you so easily!"

He chuckled. "You didn't think your presence - or lack thereof - would make so drastic a difference, did you?"

Her hands clenched tightly in her lap, her knuckles ghostly white as she pulled at the fabric of her pants. "But it's only been three weeks...!"

"Kagome," Naraku gazed at her with false sympathy, though his soulless eyes seemed to be laughing at her. "It's been 40 years."

Forty years? Kagome felt as if she had been dealt a physical blow. All of the air rushed from her lungs, leaving her weak as the thought processed itself in her brain. Forty years… she had been gone for forty years? Her mind could not process this; forty years was nearly half a lifetime! It just couldn't be true!

"You're lying," she whispered softly.

Naraku continued to smirk. "About what?" he asked loftily. "About my gaining dominion over this world, or your having been gone for nearly a century?" Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but no words came forth. "Honestly, dear girl, I gave you more credit than that. Surely you've seen the village."

At the image of the ravaged village came mind, spurring Kagome into action. All rational thought left her mind as she rushed towards Naraku, intent only doling out his deserved punishment. "You evil son of a--!"

Naraku deftly moved out of the way, and being the conniving coward that he is, resumed his seated position several feet out of her reach.

"Now, now, Kagome," he purred. "There's no need to get upset. What's done is done."

Resisting the urge to gag, Kagome struggled to control herself. Her eyes wide with terror, she finally came to realize that this was Naraku she was dealing with. Alone. If he had so wished it, she would have been dead already. As she managed to get her breathing under control, she reminded herself that if she remained patient enough, a position to attack would present itself. She just had to be ready. In the meantime, she would have to be more careful.

Sensing her success at restraining the anger within herself, Naraku nodded his approval. After all, it wouldn't do to have a potentially powerfully - and equally untrained - miko losing her temper and lunging at him in a vengeful rage. If left unchecked, she could be very dangerous to his plans. He would have to find a use for her - a use for her indeed.

That thought finished, the evil demon lord turned to the young girl before him. Despite the latent power he know she possessed, she posed quite a pitiful sight, trembling and quaking on the floor as if the very world had crashed down around her. Naraku smiled pleasantly; if only she knew how vulnerable she was at this moment…

And then suddenly, like magic, her whole demeanor changed. Her posture straightened and she raised her head to face him. Her eyes cleared, her eyes shining with angry determination as her fists clenched tightly in her lap. Regarding him calmly, it was almost as if she had become her predecessor, Kikyo.

"How did _you_ manage to gain control of everything in my absence?" she asked in an even tone.

Naraku did well to hide the fact that he felt slightly threatened and intimidated by her new-found confidence. She was waiting for him to say the wrong thing, thereby giving her the incentive she needed to exact her revenge on him. He frowned slightly at this; how dare this slip of a girl try to bait him into a trap? He felt the dark miasma stirring within his body as he tried to quell his anger; she would be the one to break, not he! Naraku would not be bested so easily!

"The answer to that is quite simple really," he answered calmly. "As you know, a mere hanyou - as your predecessor considered me to be - could never be expected to take control so easily. So, to make sure those I had dominion over would not try to oppose me, I needed to obtain more power."

"You mean the power that the demons who devoured your body all those years ago, gave you wasn't enough?" Kagome asked in disbelief, though managing to keep her expression somewhat neutral.

Naraku only smirked at her. "I, Naraku, would never satisfy myself with the status of a simple half-breed." He replied. "To bend others to my will, I required more power. It is as simple as that."

"And where did you acquire this power?" Kagome asked, though she was sure she already knew.

"As you might already be aware," Naraku continued, as if uninterrupted. "With the growing number of humans dying in their pitiful little wars, more youkai flocked together in one place, feeding off of the souls of the dead and the dying."

Kagome cringed in disgust. A parasite; that's all Naraku was. "So, you absorbed them," she frowned. "Just like the parasite you are!"

"Parasite?" Naraku chuckled. "Interesting… they are no less parasitic than I, feeding off of the souls of the ones you strive to protect - and yet you pity them?" He paused. "Very interesting…"

"No one deserves a death like that!" Kagome exclaimed. "You treat people - human and youkai alike - like tools and then you use them! You're a monster!"

"Oh yes, a monster… who gobbles people up in the dark of night," Naraku drawled. "I suppose that's how all the bedtime stories go." His soulless eyes bored into hers. "What would be a more fitting end then, my lady? The weapon of a youkai exterminator, or perhaps the purifying arrow of a priestess; perhaps that would be more appropriate?"

Kagome flinched and paled. At that, her captor only chuckled once more; a hollow sound that made her feel as though spiders were crawling up her back.

He began to speak again, "Anyway, we've gotten a bit off topic, haven't we? As I was saying, I managed to absorb more and more youkai and then I was able to finally become a full youkai myself."

"Impossible!" Kagome shrieked.

"Is it?" Naraku spared her a cold, sideways glance. "Perhaps I am not a full youkai by true nature, but I have slain all those who were foolish enough to try and prove me otherwise."

Kagome shuddered. It was then that she realized that he was telling her the truth.

End of Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Though the room was silent once again, Kagome could still hear Naraku's words echoing through her brain. She shuddered, her blood running cold once again. Naraku now had the power of a full youkai. If she had thought him strong before…

"So, as you can plainly see, I am all-powerful." He paused, absently straightening the hem of his sleeve as if to make himself appear more stately than he actually as. Kagome wanted to retch. His eyes rose to meet hers, a carnal look dancing behind his crimson gaze. "Anyone who stood a chance of defeating me is long since gone."

The young miko suddenly understood. He was referring to her friends. After all, forty years had gone by; that was more than a lifetime for many people in this particular era. What had become of her friends? And what of Sango-chan and Miroku-sama? As mere mortals, had they died young in battle? Or perhaps they had aged to the point where they were unable to fight back once attacked. Were they at least together in the end? Had they stood any chance at all? What about Shippo-chan, Kouga-kun and Ayame-chan and the wolf-tribe; perhaps they were still alive somewhere?

"They are all dead," Came Naraku's cold voice. Kagome whipped her head to face him; his cold eyes boring into her as if reading her mind. "You are the only one who remains." A cruel smile spread across his face. "If you'd like to know how they died…"

She could see them; their familiar faces smiling at her, calling her name. Her distraught mind supplied images of their possible demises, along with Naraku's cruel grin and mocking eyes….

At that instant, something deep inside of Kagome snapped. A door from inside of her flew open, blew apart, allowing a rush of power to surge through her body. With her eyes fixed on the figure before her she rose to her feet with a quickness that would put any youkai to shame.

"NARAKU! DIE!"

00

Arriving back from her patrol, Kagura was stunned - to say the least - to see the castle of her creator and most-hated master become engulfed in a bright light. Air crackled and beams of energy streamed out of every orifice, forming together into a massive pillar or light that illuminated the dead, dreary countryside making it come alive with raw power.

Shielding her eyes from the spellbinding radiance that lit up the skies around her, she was surprised when the light suddenly disappeared as quickly as it had come.

Circling the castle once more, the wind demon could find no clues as to indicate where the light had come from or what could have possibly created such an anomaly. Her brain could only come up with one possible theory: Could it have been an attack of some sort?

_'Is it the human?_' she questioned herself. She had heard the stories of her master's so called infatuation with a powerful priestess by the name of Kikyo, as well as the rumors that the girl who fell through time possessed her power – but she had disappeared 40 years ago; she had to be dead.

Now, there was this new girl. She too had possessed the characteristics of a miko – Kagura had initially thought that Naraku's attempts to kill the undead miko had failed after all, but when her run-in with the human girl hadn't yielded high results, the wind demoness had given up on that idea.

Still, the castle… she stared at the structure, still trying to decide whether or not what she had witnessed had truly been real. Could it be possible that that girl really _was_ Kikyo? Kagura knew how Naraku had had a hand in her demise – the first _and_ second time - Had she been reborn yet again to carry out her revenge like before?

"That so called miko," She murmured thoughtfully. "Is she really _that_ powerful?"

Decreasing in altitude, Kagura found herself torn. Suppose it was an attack, what was she to do? Was Naraku still alive? Should she even go inside and investigate? Deep in thought, dark frown crossed her pale features. It was no secret that Kagura despised the demon that had created her. Unlike Naraku, she desired nothing more than to be free to ride the wind, to do as she pleased without the invisible shackles of servitude that kept her weighted to the ground.

'_Suppose I go in and Naraku has indeed been attacked_,' she thought to herself as she crept into the castle. '_I will be expected to help him recuperate from any injuries he may have sustained. I will have to remain by his side until he deems himself recovered._'

At this, she visibly shuddered, glad that no one was around to see her.

'_Or_…' She paused in thought. '_If he is weak enough, perhaps I can help her finish the job_.' Grabbing her fan in hand tightly, she entered Naraku's private chambers, dark eyes taking in the dark expanse of the room. The miko was nowhere in sight. She frowned; where could she have gone?

'_No matter,_' she thought, bringing her fan up. '_I guess I'll just have to handle the _cleanup,'

Moving to open her fan and send a destructive wind across the entire room, the wind demoness was stopped by clawed hand latching itself around her neck like a vice. Her fan dropped to the ground with a resolute clatter. Kagura was only vaguely ware of the glowing red eyes before her as her feet slowly left the ground.

"I may be injured, Kagura," Naraku replied coldly, holding the smaller demon in his grasp. His body was covered with numerous burns, bruises, and lacerations. As he stood slightly hunched over with his eyes alight with fury, the only thing that seemed to be keeping him on his feet was his sheer frustration - with the thought of her insurrection or his current state Kagura was sure did not matter.

"But I am not a fool," His hold over her jugular tightened ever so slightly.

Her eyes widening ever so slightly, Kagura let out a cross between a gasp and sigh. '_So this is how it ends for me, huh?_' she thought, resisting the urge to claw at the hand slowly strangling her to death. '_Damn…_' Forcing her body to go limp, she closed her eyes and resigned herself to her fate.

Naraku study his slave, his anger at his situation fading at how easily the female youkai succumbed to his will. Did she truly think he would let her off so easily? He smirked at the thought.

He clenched his hand tighter around her neck, causing her to open her eyes, crying out in pain. "Do not try my patience," he replied, suddenly much calmer than before. "I created you from my own body - I know you better than you even know your own foolish, little self. And as an extension of myself, there is nothing you can hide from me." His eyes flashed briefly. "Nothing."

With that said, Naraku released his hold, dropping a wheezing Kagura to the ground. "If you ever attempt to betray me again, Kagura…" He left the sentence unfinished, turning and staggering/dragging himself over to his futon.

Kagura made no move to help him. Her crimson colored eyes skimmed the room. The shoji and the room's surrounding walls were singed, and there was a large dark mark on the floor in the center of the room - possibly from where Naraku hit the ground.

However, she and Naraku were the only two occupants. Did that mean…?

"The girl…?" she began tentatively.

Naraku scowled, laying back on his futon as he allowed a thick layer of miasma to cover him. Damn the girl; it would take weeks for him to get back to full strength! Where had she gotten so much power? He remembered their first encounter very vividly – it was a wonder he was still in one piece! Still, sensing that his servant had more to say, he glanced back over at Kagura, waiting her to finish her thought.

Resisting the urge to massage her bruised windpipe, the female youkai chose her next words very carefully. "Was she another reincarnation of the Priestess Kikyo?"

"Another?" Disturbingly, Naraku made a sound that sounded remotely like a sigh. "That girl…" He stared up at the ceiling. "Is the only reincarnation of Kikyo - and she is more than that."

Red eyes narrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked. "She survived your attack?"

Naraku's scowl deepened, glancing sideways at his underling. Had he not been seriously injured, Kagura would have taken a step back. "I was not the one who attacked," he explained. "In her anger, she managed to tap into her powers, directing them towards me." '_…She damned near purified me!_'

He closed his eyes, wincing in pain. Kagura's eyes grew wide in surprise. The great demon Naraku did NOT wince!

"She injured you very badly," she commented, not even pretending to care for his well being.

Her master chuckled, raising a bloodied hand into the air as if reaching for something Kagura could not see. "She has the potential to become a priestess with great spiritual powers far exceeding that of Kikyo." He replied in a low whisper. "If awakened, her powers would become…."

"A danger to your plans," Kagura finished.

Seemingly annoyed that she had interrupted him, Naraku glanced at her again. "She is already a threat to my plans," he replied tersely. "Simply because she is here in this time,"

Kagura gawked. "She escaped?" she asked. She found herself gaining a sliver of respect for this girl from the so-called future.

"Such ferocity, such strength… and all in such a fragile, human girl." Naraku murmured. Before his eyes, an image of Kagome appeared. Radiating with power, her hair billowed around her face, her slate colored eyes alight with anger and righteous fury. It was almost as if there were another image overlaying hers, attempting to mesh together into one. Was it of Kikyo…? He couldn't be sure.

Not that it mattered. Naraku smirked and closed his eyes, capturing this image in his mind. Whatever the case, the girl was truly exquisite. He had to have her!

Growing impatient with his perverse fantasizing, Kagura retrieved her fan, turning towards the door. "Do you want me to go get her?"

Looking at her as if that were a stupid question to ask, Naraku paused before nodding slightly. "And do it quickly! She could wreck everything!" Kagura gave a mock bow, hopped onto her feather. Calling her winds to lift her upwards, she disappeared through the shoji and out the window, leaving Naraku alone to his thoughts.

'_Especially if he finds her first_.'

End of Chapter 5


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Interlude

She was running through the forest, twigs and branches snagging her clothing, scratching her skin. She paid them no mind. If she could just get back there, back to the village, she just knew everything would be fine.

'_It will be!_' She told herself. Her lungs burned from exertion, but she kept going, pulling up energy from reserves deep inside of herself. '_I'll get there and I'll find them there waiting for me! It'll be all right; I won't be alone._'

The trees spread apart and a familiar clearing came into view. Dappled sunlight filtering down on the deep green graze, the old well looking like a long-forgotten friend.

Kagome let out a laugh of relief, pushing her body to cover the distance between her and her salvation. "I'm almost there!" she called out. "Guys! I'm comin--!" Her steps faltered, her eyes going wide as they took in the scene.

Sango came into view first, her trusty Hirakotsu at her side. However, the boomerang was in pieces, one imbedded in her heart. Miroku was there, too; his expression one of permanent horror – perhaps at the sight of his beloved forever out of his reach... or maybe at the thought of the six arrows lodged in his back.

Kagome wanted to scream, but no sound came out. Perversely, her gaze wandered over the rest of the scene, her eyes coming upon old Kaede – Kami only knew what had happened to her… it was too far to tell from this distance - and Shippo… he looked like he was sleeping, but she knew it wasn't so.

Kouga was there, and Ayame was there. Ginta and Hakkaku…. But where, where was Inu Yasha?

She staggered forward, her head whipping back and forth wildly, unkempt black hair falling in her face, impairing her vision.

"Inu Yasha….? Inu Yasha!" She was gasping now, her white hands clenching at her hair in desperation. "I don't understand… I can't understand! How could this happen? Who did this!"

"I did." Slate gray eyes widened; similar eyes smiled back in kind. Kagome stared in revulsion at the figure standing before her.

The school uniform crisp and pristine as the day it was purchased, handle bars of her bicycle firmly in hand, the girl stared back at her, her eyes still smiling.

"I did it." She said. "They're gone because of me."

"That's not true!" Kagome screamed. "You can't have done this!"

"Not by my hand, of course," the girl explained, tilting her head as she studied her, much like a bird. "But I abandoned them. So that makes it my fault." Her own face smiled back at her again. "See?"

The clearing was filled with Kagome's screams

00

Kagome woke up dazed, confused, and disoriented, her nightmare already long gone from her mind. Staring at her surroundings, she found herself lying in the grass underneath a small cluster of trees in the middle of a large forest. Judging by the position of the sun it looked as though to be about midday.

'_How long have I been asleep?_' she wondered to herself. Sitting up, she took note of the fact that her limbs were stiff and a large amount of grass and leaves had settled in her hair. Sighing to herself, she decided it was safe to assume she had been in such a position for quite a while.

As she rose to her feet, brushing the debris from her robes. At the sight of the miko robes still adorning her person, the incident in Naraku's castle came back to at full force, nearly sending her stumbling backwards. She remembered the anger she had felt at his words, the nearly all-consuming desire to punish him, and the power she had used to silence him.

It had felt so natural that Kagome could barely believe it was her own doing. "I guess I had the power in me all along." She nodded lightly to reassure herself. "After all, it wouldn't have been the first time I've put him in his place." Kagome paused, remembering how he had come back with a vengeance afterwards. It seemed every time they had defeated the evil demon, he came back almost 10 times as strong. Naraku was evil and cunning and would be sure to hunt her down as soon as he recovered from his injuries.

It wouldn't be a good idea for her to linger in the forest. As she began her slow trek out of the forest, Kagome realized that if she intended to put a stop to his evil, she would need help.

_'But who can I turn to?_' she thought to herself. The demon had said anyone who had tried to stand against him had been defeated. Weaving her way through the trees and the underbrush, she remembered his exact words…

"_You_ _are the only one who remains. If you'd like to know how they died_…"

She shuddered, trying to shake such thoughts out of her head. There had to be someone who could help her - someone who could help her stand up against Naraku. There just had to be!

After several days travel, Kagome came to the harsh conclusion that there was no one, sadly, who had the courage to fight against Naraku's oppression. The bright, thriving world she had once known was but a mere shell of its former self. How far did his reach go, she wondered. To the mainland? There was no way to tell and Kagome was almost certain that there was no way for her to ever get there if that wasn't the case.

In any case, Kagome found her thoughts going elsewhere. She had found that as she walked the countryside, most villagers who caught sight of her fled at the mere sight of her. What's more, she had yet to come across a single demon in days. While this didn't really upset her, she did find it a bit odd. Here she was, a defenseless girl wandering alone aimlessly; wasn't that usually a sure fire way to attract demons?

Eventually, the young priestess happened upon a small village that was kind enough to grant her asylum. Once they had assured she was not a demon - which Kagome again found odd - they offered her food and water to replenish her strength. She stayed with them for a few days, getting to learn more about the many customs of the Feudal era she had yet to familiarize herself with. She was alone now, she knew, she had to find a way to blend in and not draw attention to herself.

She learned that the people whose village she was now a guest of were a hardy breed, determined to live life to the best of their ability. They were kind and intelligent, and Kagome felt as though she could trust them. Perhaps they could help her in her mission. Unfortunately, the moment she spoke of Naraku and her plight, they all but chased her from the village.

"_Ye may as well be cursed, girl!_" one of the elders had told her.

"_No one who defies Naraku-sama lives long to tell the tale!_" cried a woman, clutching her young children to her side. The children, who had grown fond of the future girl, looked on in confusion and distrust.

"_Away with thee, lest you disfavor us as well!_"

Kagome had no choice to do what they asked, retreating back into the forest, armed with a quiver of arrows and a few meager staples of food to survive on.

After another few days of traveling, Kagome finally succumbed to the tears. She was cold, tired, and hungry. Moreover, she was alone and nearly defenseless in a world that was not the one she had grown to love. People were cold and untrusting, not at all like the ones in whose homes had she spent many a night after expelling youkai. All of her friends and loved ones were dead and there was no doubt in her mind that she would soon be joining them.

"That monster was right all along," she sobbed bitterly, clutching her bow tightly in white, shaking fingers. "He really has won!"

**_And so because he claimed it so_,** exclaimed a voice out of the darkness. **_You automatically believe it to be so? _**

Kagome froze, looking around wildly. She couldn't sense any nearby presences - human or youkai. "Who said that?"

The disembodied voice ignored her, carrying on as if it had not been interrupted. **_For all your flowery speeches and bravado - the one moment you are forced to stand alone you turn into a simpering child. Pathetic! _**

Her pride effectively wounded, Kagome wiped the tears from her eyes, frowning in frustration as she stared out into the darkness. "Now wait just a minute!" she exclaimed. "Just how am I supposed to beat Naraku on my own? He's become a full demon!"

**_Are you not a miko?_** Kagome blinked, staring down at her attire. **_Is not your sacred duty to purify vile creatures such as he? Or perhaps it was another who struck him down not even a fortnight ago?_ **

She paused, biting her lip thoughtfully. _'That's true_,' she thought to herself. _'I know that power came from me._' She remembered the sensation of raw power running through her veins as she forced it out towards Naraku. _'But how can I get that power to come back when I need it?_'

Another voice answered her, gentler this time than the first. It almost reminded her of her mother. It took all of Kagome's efforts to keep the tears from her eyes. **_You must be patient, little one, _**it said.**_ Strength will come to you the more you seek it. _**

The young priestess-in-training blinked in confusion. What did that mean? And to whom did these mysterious voices belong?

The two voices spoke as one. **_Young miko, you entered this world with no knowledge of your destiny and yet when the path called to you, you answered it without question. Is this not true? _**

Kagome was surprised when images of her first excursion in the Feudal era entered her mind unbidden. She had jumped into a river to save a young boy from drowning when he was attacked by a youkai seeking the Shikon no Tama. She remembered knowing what to do with an arrow when the said youkai took off with the relic in its mouth. It was almost as if the knowledge had been second nature to her.

**_Being a miko is your destiny,_** replied the first voice. **_But this does not include only slaying youkai. _**

**_A_ _priestess' first duty is to aid the people, for it is them who fall prey to the ire of youkai,_ **replied the second. **_By doing thus, your power will grow_**.

Kagome's thoughts dwelled on this as the last voice faded into the darkness. Help the people - that's what a miko was to do, what she wanted and had been doing since she came to this time. Still, how could she continue to do so when the people she was trying to help didn't want her help?

'_I guess the only way to do it is to do it without their really knowing,_' Kagome stood up, brushing herself off. She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. "Never thought I'd say _this_, but what would Kikyo do?"

As if by magic, the answer came to her. Slinging her bow across her shoulder, she stared down at her attire with a thoughtful smile. Looking back up at the sky, her smile turned into a grin. "It's time for me to start acting like a miko."

And so, several weeks by of Kagome doing just that. She traveled out of the forest and along the river first, stopping at small villages offering her services to anyone who would accept them. It was cooking, cleaning, caring for small children at first, but Kagome silently thanked Kami for giving Kaede the foresight to teach her everything she knew about medicinal herbs. As she traveled along, people would take one look at her attire and fear the worst - she'd later learned that slaying and or purifying youkai had been outlawed and mikos and those of their ilk were all but extinct. However, assuring them she had no intention of inviting Naraku's wrath, she'd tell them that she was but a mere traveling healer who traveled the countryside trying to help people. Even after curing a few colds and fevers, there would still be a few skeptics. However, she would give them her patented 'Kagome-smile' and they would be sold.

As time wore on, Kagome grew to have more respect for her predecessor, Kikyo. She knew that the priestess had walked the countryside, helping those she could as she came across them all the while waiting and planning for the day she could finally strike down her enemies. Granted, Kagome had no desire to drag anyone down to Hell with her, nor did she feel she was anywhere near to matching Kikyo's spiritual prowess. Still, in between stops, she practiced honing her skills in whatever ways she could. Kagome was sure she was close to reaching the level she had been at that day, and as her strength grew so did her notoriety.

Kagome knew - even though she had been wise to never tell anyone her name - that it was only a matter of time before someone would put two and two together and discover her identity. Once they did so, she assumed, they would track her down and either spell her doom or their own.

However, the person who had eventually done so caught her completely by surprise.

End chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Her mind was absolutely focused. The path towards her target was clear. Pulling her arrow back with the poise and precision of a master, with a quick motion of her fingers the bowstring snapped forward, sending the narrow wooden projectile on a collision course towards its target. It sluiced through the air, the wind whistling around it. It collided with the tree several meters away, piercing its hard bark with a loud 'thunk'. A few moments passed in silence before the arrowhead began to glow a soft pink, exploding in a shower of light taking a considerable chunk of the tree with it.

Kagome winced, walking towards her makeshift target, waving a slim hand to clear the sawdust from her eyes. Surveying the damage her shot had caused, she pulled a face. Her intention had been to work on her accuracy; given that she had practically annihilated it, it was difficult to tell whether she had hit her mark at all.

With a heavy sigh, she turned to her next target – a small boulder several yards to her right – a slight frown upon her face. It was strange that she could summon magnificent power to effectively decimate an inanimate target, but when the time came for her to supply that power in a fight, she was lucky if she managed even half of what she had displayed against Naraku that day.

Though a month seemed to have passed since Kagome's 'conversation' with the mysterious voices, the young girl from the future knew that the fact that it had passed without incident had nothing to do with luck. As she took up the mantle of priestess, traveling from village to village, she had noticed people remarking on the lack of demon activity. No doubt Naraku's invalidity was the cause.

Kagome knew that it would take some time for Naraku to recover, but she was still concerned. Since she had escaped from his castle, the young miko had not seen, come across, or had any altercations involving any demons of any kind. She had heard many numerous horror stories of how the demon-lord would send out his hordes to pillage and smite all those who dared to displease him. And yet, since she had begun her journey, she had not come across any such cases.

'_Naraku…_' The young miko scowled at the thought of the evil hanyou.

Never before had she wished such ill will against anyone as she had against him. She knew that it might be quite a while before he showed his face personally, but that was no reason for her to let down her guard. As she traveled, she always felt as though there was always a nearby presence - whether it was human or demon, she wasn't sure - but she had the sneaking suspicion that it was watching her. She would try to discern its identity with her newly improving miko abilities, but it always managed to remain out of her reach. It got to the point where Kagome would refrain from staying too long in a village so not to attract unwanted attention to the innocent villagers.

And as she traveled across the countryside, honing her skills, she managed to avoid any altercations with youkai altogether…

That was of course, until she stumbled onto one by accident.

000

Kagome stood in an empty forest clearing, hands on her knees trying to meditate when she sensed it. '_Youkai? So close?_'

Blinking in surprise, she scrambled to her feet, letting out a curse. Really, she should have been paying more attention. She had tried to refrain from lowering her guard, but she should have been more prepared. After all, there had also been many reports of missing children and cattle. Not only that, since setting out from her last stop, she had heard that a small hidden village at the base of the mountains had been hit by a mysterious case of the flu as well. That had to mean something, didn't it?

Kagome had known there was a possibility of running in to trouble. Actually, it was beyond a possibility, it was a fact. So, gathering all the supplies she carried with her on the road, along with her arrows - a young girl couldn't let herself be defenseless against dangerous forest creatures, could she? - Kagome had set off in search of the village.

The young priestess had made three-fourths of the journey when she stumbled across a startling sight. Right in the middle of the road stood two large ogres; their skin dark and blemished with warts and battle scars, each of their one yellowed eyes glazed over with hunger and bloodlust.

Cursing herself for her inattentiveness, Kagome ducked into the bushes to get a better look without being seen. Creeping along with the ground, she could see the two ogres standing in the middle of the road tugging and fighting over what appeared to be a small, cloth bag.

Kagome's eyes squinted before widening in horror. '_That's not a bag._' She covered her mouth to smother a gasp. Clutched in their grips was a small boy dressed in furs with his hair pulled back in a high ponytail.

She felt her heart skip a beat, '_It - it couldn't be! Could it...?_'

One of the ogres snatched the child from the other, knocking him against a tree.

Kagome's heart pounded in her throat, spurring her from her hiding spot. "Shippo!" The ogres could only start in surprise as she leapt from the bushes rushing towards the small boy. As she grew nearer, her heart sank. Though he appeared to be only unconscious, he did not possess the pointed ears and red hair she had first thought she saw. Instead of the distinct youkai features, this was but a mere mortal boy.

'_But that still doesn't give them to right to toss him around like a rag doll,_' she thought angrily. She could feel her powers surging in righteous anger, but it wasn't quite close of enough for her to draw upon. Nevertheless, she drew an arrow from her quiver, pulling it taut across her bow. "I won't allow you to harm this boy any further," she replied evenly.

The two ogres, surprised to have their play ended so early and in such a manner, turned to each other in confusion. After a few shared grunts, they turned back Kagome with grins on their ugly faces.

"We've heard about you," grunted one ogre.

"The priestess woman who has the 'bility to keep the humans from dying?" snorted the other. "Thought the last o' your kind had died out years ago."

The young girl kept her expression neutral. "I'm just a healer," she recited. "I heal the sick and nothing more."

"Well, we can't have that," chortled the first ogre. "That's less lost souls fer us to feed upon!"

"Aye, brother," agreed the other. "But I s'pose raw flesh is just as good as any old soul." He leered down at Kagome, running his tongue over large, browned teeth. "'Specially the young and tender kind."

The boy, who had come to minutes ago, rose unsteadily to his feet. Having quickly assessed the situation, he tugged on the sleeve of Kagome's gi urgently. "Run," he replied hoarsely, though he seemed to be wary of her. "You shouldn't be here."

Kagome smiled slightly. It was no surprise she had mistaken him for Shippo; the two did bare a striking resemblance to each other. Had it not been for his human features, he was almost a spitting image - he even sounded like the kitsune!

"I'm afraid I can't do that," she replied in a pleasant tone. The boy looked at her in surprise. She shrugged absently. "Besides, I really don't have any other place to be right now."

"Then rest in peace down in my belly!"

The pair looked up to see the bigger of the two ogres rushing towards them with big, thundering steps. The boy braced himself as if to act, but Kagome would have none of it. Stepping in front of him, she raised her bow once again, letting loose an arrow and watching as if flew forward and lodged itself in the ogre's chest.

"What's this?" he chuckled, reaching for it. However, as his fingers came in contact with it, it ignited with her spiritual energy, reducing him to dust.

The boy stood still in shock. "How...?"

She found herself wondering as well; her arrows had never done that before. Still, now was not the time to be considering such things. "Don't waste time staring!" Kagome exclaimed, turning back to him. "Get out of here!"

His expression turned from one of suspicion to surprise. "Hey, look out!"

Kagome had no time to act. She looked up to see the second ogre barreling towards her with a look of pure rage on his face. Reaching for another arrow from her quiver, Kagome could only gasp in shock as it was snatched from her back. She and the boy were knocked aside, and Kagome could only watch as the ogre crushed the remainder of her arrows in a large fist.

Snarling, he slapped her to the ground with a large fist. She hit the unyielding ground with a thud, staring dazedly up at her attacker. Snarling and snorting at her with his one eye blazing with fury, he loomed over her. "You think yer funny, do you, witch woman?" he roared. "Think you can kill me brother and get away with it? You'll pay the price all right - I'll smash yer head against the rocks and bathe in your blood before this night is through!"

The small boy grabbed a rock and dove in front of Kagome, hitting the ogre in the middle of the head. While it did no real damage, it gave the two humans enough time to scramble out of the way as the ogre slammed his large fists in the dirt, missing them by mere centimeters as he attempted to crush them.

"Shit!" Kagome bit her lip in frustration, keeping herself between the boy and the ogre. All her meditation, all of her practice… was it all for nothing? _'How am I supposed to beat this monster without my arrows?_'

The mysterious voices she had heard all those weeks ago came back to her mind as if to answer her plea.

_A priestess' first duty is to aid the people_, the voice had explained. _By doing thus, your power will grow. _

'_But how?_' She looked down at the boy to see that he was watching her with an apprehensive look on his face. '_How can I protect him?_'

Again, the voices' words answered her. _Strength will come to you the more you seek it. _

The ogre was rushing towards them again, this time with a log in its hands ready to bludgeon them to death. Kagome closed her eyes, summoning every ounce of strength available in her being.

'_I don't care what happens to me,_' she told herself. '_But don't allow this little boy to die!_' Suddenly, she opened her eyes just in time to see a bright ball of light emerge from her outstretched hands. Without really thinking, she directed it towards the ogre, watching with fascination as it quietly slipped into his body, reducing him to nothingness. The log he had been holding dropped to the ground with a loud thud in the middle of the road.

Several moments followed in silence. Kagome stared at her hands in bewilderment. She hadn't remembered raising them, and yet somehow she had been able to summon up her spiritual powers without the use of an arrow as a conduit.

'_Just… just like before…!_'

"So, the rumors are true."

Feeling the sudden swell of_ youki_, Kagome stilled as a soft light appeared from behind her. Reaching for her bow, she cursed remembering she had no arrows to shoot with. However, she braced herself and turning, half expecting to find the little boy still seated behind her. What she found, however, was something entirely different.

A young man stood in place of the small boy, surrounded now in an ethereal glow. Not a boy, but not quite a man either, he was dressed in a pair of brown hakama and a black haori all under a fur tunic vest. They were the clothes of a commoner at best, yet Kagome knew this was no mortal being. His skin was pale and smooth, as was the long auburn hair tied loosely at the nape of his neck that flowed down to his feet. His facial features were angular, yet slightly effeminate, and he regarded her with calm, almond shaped eyes. Beautiful was the only word she could think of to describe the sight.

Oddly enough, she found herself reminded of fairytales in which a young maiden rescues a child or animal only to have it transform into a fairy prince that would grant her heart's desires. The romanticist in Kagome was charmed at the idea of this scenario, but she had come a long way since then. The realist in her knew that situations like this were nothing to take lightly.

Almost as if he were able to sense her unease, the young man tilted his head, a small curious smile making its way across his face. His eyes, that had once held the epitome of calm, were suddenly filled with amused excitement. As he grinned, she took notice of his elfin-like ears; they gave him a very boyish quality that made Kagome figure he couldn't have been all that old even by youkai standards.

Almost remembering that he had been the one who'd originally broken the silence, he nodded, speaking candidly, "I'd heard people talk of a priestess who traveled the countryside healing people. Word had it that she had escaped from Naraku's castle." His smile brightened. "I didn't want to believe it at first... It was almost too much to hope for."

Kagome hid an uncertain frown. Was this person a friend or an enemy?

"But now you're here... after all these years, you're back," Were those tears forming in his eyes? "I've missed you so much!" Before Kagome even knew what was happening, he had swept her up in a tight embrace, pressing his lips against hers in a not-quite-chaste kiss.

Now, Kagome now realized his was the presence she had sensed watching her. Though she had sensed no hostility from him, that didn't prevent her from pulling away and socking him good right in the eye. She wasn't sure who this guy was or who he thought she was, but if this was yet another case of mistaken identity she was _really_ gonna let him have it on principles!

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips as he backed away from her with a slightly wounded look on his face. "You must be mistaking me for somebody else if you think you can just jump me like that! Just what kind of girl do you think I am?"

He blinked, and as if remembering some private joke, chuckled gleefully. Before long, his quiet chuckles increased and morphed into gales of laughter. He doubled over, revealing a long busy tail that trailed behind him, twitching and curling as his body shook with amusement.

Kagome gasped. The tail, the slightly pointed ears, the shape-shifting abilities; why hadn't she put two and two together before? "You're a kitsune!" she exclaimed. "There's no way you can be anything else!"

As his laughter slowly subsided, he looked up at her with a mischievous grin nearly splitting his face. "And there's no way you could be anyone but my Kagome."

Her eyes widened as a brighter light engulfed his frame, dying down to reveal the small boy she had rescued, the color of his hair melting into a fire-red pulled back in a turquoise colored ribbon. His smiling eyes faded from unobtrusive brown to a vibrant aquamarine, blinking at her expectantly.

Kagome felt as though her heart were going to stop. "Shippo," she gasped. "Is that you?"

He grinned as light surrounded him, dying down with a loud pop as he once again appeared before her as a young man with smiling, almond-shaped eyes. "Were you expecting someone else?"

End Chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Concealed within a shroud of darkness, a lone figure sat amongst a cluster of rocks deep within the forest. With the lean and graceful figure of warrior, the figure sat still against the base of a large oak tree. His shoes and his weapon lay forgotten several feet away. Poised in meditative silence, he seemed to be unaware of everything surrounding him.

Soon, his solitude was broken by a buzzing sound wavering through the still, forest air. Strangely enough however, the figure did not look up or even seem to notice the disturbance at all. He remained unmoving, undeterred by the forces around him.

He remained this way even when a lone Saimyosho, one of Naraku's poisonous insects, appeared out of the trees. He didn't stir even when it was soon joined by a small swarm of even more of its kind. Unfortunately for him, however, they had taken notice of him. They loomed over him, buzzing noisily as they inched closer and closer. Still, he made no movements towards the weapon at his side.

Upon realizing he seemed completely unaware of their presence, one insect decided to be bold. Without a second thought, it rushed forward at quick speeds. Spiraling towards its intended prey, it raised its stinger ready to sink in for the kill.

With lightning fast movements that none of the others had time to acknowledge, its tattered remains fell to the ground in a small heap. The remaining Saimyosho started in surprise. What had happened? One minute they had had the advantage and now their quarry was staring up at them disdainfully.

Buzzing angrily, they all thought in anger, '_Such insolence! How could their master wish the aid of such a lowly creature; and one that had just slaughtered one of their brothers, no less?_' They bunched closer together, staring hatefully down at the figure below them. He was stretching his limbs now, acting as if he hadn't a care in the world. No, this could not be permitted.

His fate had been decided at once. He had to be destroyed. Once they were all pleased with their decision, the demon insects gathered together in a large swarm. Without a warning, they all converged down upon him, prepared to show no mercy.

No emotions showed on the figure's face or any inclination of his impending doom. A few seconds passed by before he took a graceful leap into the air. With a few skilled blows, he had slashed and obliterated all but one insect.

"My, aren't we gracious today."

Kagura appeared in the distance, swathed in a thin patch of sunlight filtering through the trees. She beckoned the lone Saimyosho to her, examining it briefly before releasing it back into the sky. She watched briefly as it flew off to parts unknown before turning back to the figure still lurking in the shadows. An amused glint was present in her crimson gaze.

"It's not like you to leave one behind," she remarked lightly. "Getting sloppy over the years?"

A pair of narrow slanted eyes gleamed back at her in response. "I'm tired of this game."

Kagura made a 'tutt'-ing sound. "That's too bad." She replied with a smirk. She lifted her fan, hiding behind it coyly. "Perhaps you'd regain a bit more efficiency if you changed your methods a bit." There was no movement from the shadows. Kagura bit back a grin, pretending to look thoughtful. "Clawing and slashing is so primitive these days. Perhaps if you used that weapon of yours—"

In less than an instant, Kagura found herself pinned against the very tree he had been sitting under. She blinked, staring into a pair of glowing red eyes.

"You're too bold, wind demon." He spoke with a tone that was low and dangerous. It was also a bit hoarse, as if it hadn't been used in some time. "I'm not your friend – you'd best remember who it is you're talking to."

Kagura would have laughed were she not in her current position. Nonetheless, she had a job to do and if she didn't do it there would certainly be hell to pay. "How can I not when you put it so eloquently," she commented, wincing when his grip on her tightened slightly. "I don't remember you being so refined the last time we met… has this self-imposed solitary of yours improved your manners?"

"You know what I am and you know why I'm here – don't be so stupid and pretend that you don't." He paused, taking in the faint traces of her previous injuries. "Your master may feel the need to punish you for your forgetfulness," Kagura scowled at this. "But _I_ won't hesitate to kill you."

"That would surely put a damper on your relationship with my master, now wouldn't it?" Kagura said with a snarl. "Besides… word has it you've gone soft."

"Really now?" It seemed his voice could get no lower than it was now.

"Why else would you wallow here in the shadows like some pathetic imp?" The wind demon knew she was pressing her luck, but still she persisted. "Are you not a great youkai warrior who has the power to slay any who dare to oppose you? Surely you aren't afraid to step out into the light after all these years?"

"I'm not afraid of anything!" the figure spat. "You'd do well to remember that."

"Of course," Kagura said with smirk. "_Naraku-sama_ assured me of this as well, but I had to be sure for myself."

"Idiot woman," The figure scowled at her. "Spare me – I don't give a damn about what Naraku says or does."

"My, how times have changed!" Wriggling out of his grasp, Kagura looked up with him with a pout. "It really is a pity." She replied. "He thinks _so_ highly of you – he sent me here to tell you that he wishes to speak with you."

The figure let out a short bark of laughter. "Of course. Why else would that fool intrude upon my solitude – sending his stupid insects and man-hag, no less – to extend his oh-so gracious invitation?" He scowled and spat at the ground. "Don't take me for a fool – I know he wants something." Stepping into the patch of light Kagura now occupied, the red in his eyes faded away leaving only the steely blue of his irises. Kagura paused – that had never happened before. "Know this; I work for no one – certainly not for the likes of Naraku. If he thinks he can just snap his figures and I'll do his beckoning, he can kiss my ass." He turned away from her with a snort. "I do as I please."

Recovering her composure, Kagura smirked and bowed mockingly. "Of course, Great one," she intoned. "I'll be sure to tell him." Watching as he retreated back into the shadows - to meditate, or whatever it was he did in this dull place – she plucked a feather from her hair. Willing it to enlarge to size where she could sit comfortably upon it, she took off into the sky.

Once there, she was rejoined with the surviving Saimyosho. "Don't worry, he'll come around," she replied. "After all, curiosity killed the cat..." She climbed higher into the clouds. "Or in this case... the canine."

000

Kagome dropped to her knees, her whole body trembling. Her hands clenched in the dirt, she bowed her head down remorsefully.

Shippo, who had been grinning up until that point, looked down at her worriedly. "Kagome?" He knelt down by her side. "Are you all right?" He searched her body looking for any visible signs of injury. "What's wrong? Did you use up too much of your spirit?"

The young miko looked up at him with tears brimming her eyes. The kitsune looked at her in confusion. "Shippo, you must think I'm terrible."

He blinked, his expression turning to curiosity. "Why? What would make me think that about my kaasan?"

Gravity took its claim on Kagome's tears. She covered her face shamefully. "Would a mother abandon her child?" she sobbed. "It's been 40 years!"

"Only in my time, not yours." Shippo pointed out with a shrug. Kagome blinked at him disbelievingly. "Besides, I'm a great youkai! 40 years isn't a long time for me at all."

Kagome smiled lightly at the smug expression on his face. Although she was a bit more inclined to believe his claim now that he wasn't 3 feet tall. He'd changed so much. "You've grown so much..." She replied, her earlier mood fast returning. She felt like a mother who had missed out on the entire life of her child. Granted, Shippo was not her child, but he had been close enough. "I'm so sorry..."

"It's all right, Kagome, I'm not all that old," Shippo replied gently. "I guess I'm pretty much the same age as you now technically… A tee-nay-jaahh… was that the word?" He grinned roguishly. "Besides, I haven't changed all that much really... I still like chocolate." Kagome gave a watery laugh. He paused, his eyes studying her intently. "You haven't changed that much either, you know." Kagome sought to object as he lowered his face to hers. "You're still my little kaasan."

"Shippo..."

A mischievous grin appeared on his face again. "You're still so young! You almost look like you did back then!" He paused, his expression turning thoughtful for a moment. "Which is a good thing, I think. It would've been hard to believe some little old grandma beat the stuffing out of Naraku all by herself!" He laughed. "Man, what that would've done to my ego!"

Kagome shook her head. This was her Shippo all right. Her heart warmed a little until she thought of Naraku. "He's not totally beaten," she pointed out. "What I did to him was only temporary. It's only a matter of time before he decides to strike again – if he hasn't already."

The kitsune only laughed again in response. "That's why we'll be ready and waiting for him!"

'_We?_' The young miko blinked. Had he flipped? How could he be taking the situation so lightly? This was Naraku she was talking about. Did he know something she didn't?

Sensing her confusion, the kitsune whose sanity was now in question grinned again as he took her up by the hand. "C'mon, Kagome-kaa," he replied. "We've got a lot of work to do."

"Where are we going?"

Shippo let out a short whistle. A few seconds later, a horse trotted up to them. The kitsune hopped on, pulling her up behind him. After instructing her to hold on tight, he urged the horse into an all-out gallop. "To the Hidden Village you were looking for, where else?" he replied. "There're some folks I want to show you. They can't wait to see you again!"

Kagome had no chance for any more questions as they took off down the road.

End Chapter 7


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Even Kagome's patience was finite. She noted with some frustration that Shippo really hadn't changed all that much in the past 40 years. True, he no longer looked anything like the little orphan kit she had taken under her wing, but it appeared he hadn't lost his knack for pissing people off.

As the two traveled down the road, Kagome found herself glaring at the back of his head as hard as she could. She wasn't sure how many times she'd attempted to get a full story of the situation out of him. Threats, bribing… she'd tried so many ways to glean information out of him on what had happened here in her absence, but every time the crafty sneak would find some way to change the subject.

'_Ooh... he's... he's acting like a kitsune!_' she thought to herself, pausing at the obviousness of that statement. She'd never really thought about it when he was but a child, but now that he was nearing if not already at his prime, it seemed as though he was delighting in teasing her!

Well, this would not do. Gradually Kagome's patience was finally beginning to wear thin. She closed her eyes, folding her arms across her chest. "Shippo..." she replied in a warning tone.

He cringed lightly, like a little boy caught in the act by his parent. Kagome fought not to grin, even after 40 years, the 'you're in big trouble, mister' tone never ceased to fail. It was good to know that at least that had stayed the same. However, easing out of the 'panic-stance', Shippo turned back to her with a grin – although Kagome noted it did not reach his eyes.

"Don't worry," he replied, as if reading her mind. Kagome was yet again astounded at his perceptiveness. Were her thoughts really that transparent? "You'll get all the answers to your questions once we've reached the village." His expression softened a little. "I promise, kaasan. It's better this way."

Kagome could only nod, though her thoughts were still troubled. Was what happened all those years ago really so bad that even he was so reluctant to speak of it?

He had already explained to her along the way that the rumor she had been told of an ailing village in need of a healer had been fabricated by the kitsune himself. In fact, he had been the one spreading it across the country with the use of his youki magic. When he had been encountered by the ogre, he had been in the middle of making sure the rumor was on its way to reaching her so that he could see for himself if she was who he thought she was.

Shippo turned his gaze back to the road ahead, tightening his hold on the horse's reins. "Hang on," he cautioned. "We're almost there!"

And sure enough, the two arrived to their destination in a matter of minutes. However, once they arrived, Kagome was surprised to find that what she thought would be a little village, was not really a village at all.

It seemed to be more of a traveling caravan than anything else. There were numerous carts and wagons parked neatly off to the side with a makeshift corral for horses and oxen and other cattle. Amongst the trees, numerous pitched tents and small huts indicated that while people had made themselves comfortable here, their stay was intended only to be temporary.

Looking out at the people stationed and milling about the area, Kagome found that the people didn't seem to be too bothered with their living arrangements. There were youkai and humans working amongst each other, going about their daily activities as if nothing was out of the norm.

Shippo, who had always seemed to draw a lot of attention whenever they traveled through villages, seemed to be very well known and accepted in this little place. As they entered the village on horseback, many humans and youkai would stop what they were doing to wave to him. As they entered further into the compound, a small group of men came looked up to see him coming with grins on their faces.

Jumping down from his horse, he waved to them, a smile upon his face. "Sumu! I'm back!"

Sumu, who appeared to Kagome to be a badger youkai, walked over to him with two human men laughing jovially. "Welcome back, Shippo-kun!" he exclaimed, clapping him on the back heartily. He made for a rather imposing figure, standing at least 6 feet with a wide build. However, when he took a look at Kagome, still sitting patiently atop his steed, and bowed his head politely she figured he really was a softy at heart. Not to be impolite, Kagome smiled back and bowed her head in response.

The two men, taking note of the exchange, and the pleased look on Shippo's face, nudged each other jokingly. They looked to be older than her, possibly in their early twenties, but their ease around the two youkai indicated that they had known them both a very long time.

"Well, look's like Shippo's mission turned out to be a better success than he thought!" one man, the taller of the two with his hair in a messy top-knot, laughed. "Although maybe not the original mission he had in mind…"

"Who's your lady-friend, Shippo-kun?"

"Oh boy, here we go..." Sumu muttered, shaking his head.

"Can it be?" the other, a bit stockier than his companion, laughed. "Our Shippo's finally become a man and brought himself home a woman! You fink – and here we thought you were on an important mission!"

The kitsune gawked, a hint of red showing against his cheeks. "It's not like that!"

Kagome paused, feeling a ki bristle just at the edge of her senses. It didn't appear to be hostile so she ignored it for the time being, turning back to Shippo and his companions. "These are friends of yours, Shippo?" she asked pleasantly.

Shippo huffed, "If you wanna call these jokers that..."

"You wound us, Shippo-kun!" The second man replied, feigning a wound. "We all but practically grew up together!"

"Oh don't give me that, Jyou." Sumu laughed. "Shippo was already past my knee when he started hanging around with these little punks." Considering he was already a few inches taller than her, Kagome had to wander how long ago that was. How quickly did kitsune grow, anyway?

"But now our little Shippo-kun is all grown up!" the first man grinned in a high-pitched voice. "He's brought himself home a woman – wait'll poor Ko-chan finds out!"

Sumu and the other man cringed in response. Shippo flushed, frowned, and then smoothed his face over all within the span of a few seconds. Impressed by his control, Kagome blinked; who was '_Ko-chan_'?

Sumu snickered, 'tsk'-ing in response. "Oh dear, it'll just break her heart."

"Cut it out, Sumu, don't you start with that, too." Shippo frowned, though it was quite obvious to see he was embarrassed. So much for that control… "She's not my woman... and neither is Ko—"

The bristling ki that had first made itself known to Kagome became present again. She frowned slightly, this time searching actively for its source.

"Eh, Toudou, Shippo's just bein' shy, that's all!" Jyou, the elder of the two humans, chuckled.

Toudou laughed in agreement, giving Kagome a once over. "C'mon, Shippo, don't be so modest! She's a pretty little thing!"

Shippo's frown evolved into a scowl. "Show a little respect," he replied, as he helped Kagome down from his horse. She was surprised by the no-nonsense tone in his voice. "Kagome is not my woman. She's my—"

Before he could finish his sentence, or lead Kagome away from the little jeering group, the bristling ki came to life, hurtling towards the two of them with unnatural speed. Quick to react, Kagome whirled around just in time to see Shippo get tackled to the ground by a black blur.

He let out a yelp of surprise as he hit the ground. However instead of attacking back, he merely looked up at his captor with a playful grin on his face.

A young girl, who looked to be about in her mid-teens, was glaring down at him. Her hair, black as a crow's feathers, had cropped evenly bangs in front and was pulled back in a loose bun at the nape of her neck. She was dressed in a sleeveless gi and a pair of knee-high hakama. Kagome noted that her angry expression and violet eyes looked very familiar...

"I caught you!" she exclaimed. "I caught you in the act and you didn't even see me coming! I knew you were gonna get into all sorts of trouble without me with you! Damn it, sempai!"

"You're assuming way too much," Shippo replied with a grin. "Besides, you didn't catch me in the act of anything, I knew you were there." At her deepening scowl, he let out a laugh. "C'mon, you were obvious! I didn't even have to see you – your ki was pretty much giving you way." He turned to look at the miko behind them. "Right, Kagome?"

Kagome only nodded, suddenly feeling the urge to hide under the scrutinizing gaze she was being given by the younger girl. Sheesh, she hadn't even done anything wrong and she felt like crawling under a rock. What was up with this girl? She really reminded her of...

Shippo chuckled at the suddenly nervous look Kagome was sporting. After all, there were few he didn't quail when they found themselves on the receiving end of one of the girl's glares. Although he had to wonder at the unusual severity found in her violet gaze – was she really that mad? Pushing that thought to the back of his mind – where it would be quickly forgotten within a few hours time - he wriggled out from under the girl, walking over to Kagome casually. The miko gave him a look that either said, 'save me!' or 'this is all _your_ fault' – he couldn't be sure.

"This is one of the people I wanted you to meet," he explained calmly. He turned back to the girl with a smile on his face. "This is the one I was telling you about, Ko-chan, the one I went to look for – my kaa-san, Kagome!"

The girl's look of suspicion was suddenly replaced by one of wonder and extreme reverence. "You mean... you're the miko, Kagome?" When Kagome nodded, she let out a gasp of surprise and excitement. "Then you must have known my grandparents!"

"Ahh…" Kagome turned to Shippo, looking for clarification.

Realizing her manners were lacking, the younger girl let out a 'oh' sound and bowed before her formally. "I'm honored to meet you, Kagome-sama," she replied. "My name is Kohaku."

'_What...! No way!_' Kagome couldn't help but blink. "K-Kohaku!"

Shippo laughed at the boggled expression on her face, ruffling both of their heads affectionately. Kohaku glared at him before turning to grin at Kagome once again. "That's right..." he replied. "She's named after her great-uncle. Kohaku is the last of the Youkai taijya clan."

'_But that would mean..._' She took in the girl's now-innocent looking face and violet eyes. '_Sango-chan…_' She felt a sharp pang in her hurt. "And Miroku-sama, too?"

"That's right," Kohaku exclaimed proudly, hands now on her hips. She then turned to Shippo, punching him in the stomach playfully, though by the look on his face it came out much harder than she had intended. "And don't you forget – you promised that once you found Kagome you'd sire my child!"

Jyou and Toudou's loud guffaws drowned out Shippo's uneasy chuckle.

Kagome face-faulted. It couldn't be helped.

Yes, Kohaku was definitely a descendant of Sango and Miroku – there was no doubting that. Staring up at the two of them, she decided things were definitely starting to get interesting.

End Chapter 8

Author's Note - Hey, everyone! Sorry this took me so long to get out... I've been accepted to my new transfer school so I've been searching and writing scholarship essays like a fiend... I should be still, but I decided to take a break.

So, just to be clear, this is the last revised chapter... everything else from here on in will be brand-spanking-new!

Miss Chang Po - Yeah... you really should use 'spankin' in normal conversation... ever.

:blinks: So, it's okay to use in not-so-normal conversation?

Miss Chang Po- ...

Wufei - Mattaku...


	9. Chapter 9

Tandemonai

Chapter 9

"Kagome?"

"Kagome-sama?"

"Aaa, Ko-chan, you killed Miko-sama!"

"Wha…? Shut up, Tou, I did not!"

"Maa, maa… settle down, brats, she's coming to…"

Kagome really hadn't passed out: however, the notion had been mightily tempting. After all, not only was she faced with the descendant of two of her closest friends in this era (and quite possibly the whole world), but also the knowledge that her own surrogate child had promised to beget said descendant an heir.

It was quite a bit to take in all at once.

Granted, it wasn't that hard to convince the miko from the future that Kohaku was in fact a descendant of Miroku and Sango. Her name alone was convincing enough. However, what Kagome really had a hard time grasping was the fact that there was a generation separating them. The young girl staring down at her worriedly bore such a striking resemblance to the sister and brother-in-law of her namesake that it seemed as if they still somehow existed on this earthly plane.

More than ever Kagome wanted to ask what had happened to them – to all of their friends. The roguish kitsune hovering beside her had been so evasive about what had happened during their trip to this makeshift village that Kagome found herself wondering whether or not she really wanted to know.

If he had been concerned about his surrogate mother demanding an explanation about Kohaku's previous bold statement – boy was that going to be an awkward conversation… - Shippo's worries were momentarily set aside by the troubled expression on her face. He felt a sudden pang at the knowledge of its source. He wanted to tell her what had happened all those years ago – more than anything he wanted to get that awful burden off of his chest – but he feared how she would react. Once the truth was finally known, what would she do when she found out that—?

"Oi, Shippo!" Everyone looked up at the sound of a bell clanging loudly in the distance. Shippo tensed, as did several others in the vicinity, his tail bristling as Sumu pointed to the large dust cloud growing larger over the ridge in the distance.

"Company," Toudou gritted as he fell into a defensive stance. Kagome moved to reach for her bow and arrows, but surprisingly, both Shippo and Kohaku stood in front of her in protective stances.

"Friend or foe?" Jyou asked, pulling a kunai from a pouch at his side.

The miko turned to the badger youkai, watching as a relieved smile bloomed across his face. "Relax, kiddies, it's friends," he answered, waving a clawed hand to some of the other villagers who had armed themselves at the sound of commotion. "It's the Ookami pack back from their scouting trip."

Kagome let out a sharp gasp, at the same time feeling Shippo's eyes fall upon her.

'_Ookami…_' She felt a rush of anxiety. '_Does that mean…?_'

The cloud came upon them, quickly dissipating as several wolf youkai Kagome did not recognize appeared with several large wolves in tow. Some of the wolves sported light fur, causing her eyes to widen in recognition.

'_These wolves came from the North… They look like… the wolves that ran with Ayame-chan's clan…!_'

"What? No way! Are you serious?" A hand clamped onto Kagome's shoulder, spinning her around to meet large green eyes shining at her with wonder and disbelief. "By Kami, it _is _you!"

Kagome found herself face to face with a female youkai dressed in the fur and battle armor of an Ookami warrior. Long, auburn hair framed her face, pulled back tightly in a high pony-tail with long bangs held out of her cherubic face was a tan-colored head band adorned with a deep blue flower.

"A-a-ayame-chan?"

If it were at all possible, the youkai's eyes brightened even more. "You remember me!" She grinned happily. "I am a bit older of course – oh, not too much mind you, but…" At this she paused, giving the girl an appraising look. "But you look as if you haven't aged a day? How is that even possible?"

Before she could even begin to explain, Kagome was enveloped in a tight hug, laughing hesitantly at the female youkai's exuberance. At least her greeting was like Shippo's – she was still a great deal confused about that… "It's a long story really…"

"I always held out the hope that you'd come back,"

Everyone froze, their gaze turning to the newcomer of the group. There he stood, in all his wild glory, the leader of the Wolf Pack. He, too, had aged, if only slightly; he was taller, definitely, his muscles more defined. His facial features had angled out a bit, his blue eyes seemingly more piercing than before. Even his hair was longer, his high ponytail reaching even further down his back.

He looked… pretty damn decent. Kagome swallowed lightly, "Kouga… kun…"

Like Ayame before him, the wolf prince wasted no time in snatching her up into a fierce embrace, catching the poor girl completely off balance.

"We all though you were dead," he murmured.

Kagome could only stand there in awe. She had not expected this at all. There was raw relief in Kouga's voice, gratefulness for her return; that came as no surprise. However, his hug – it contained none of the forcefulness or possessiveness it used to. Something about him now was different. What was that could have possibly changed?

For that matter, how much had _she _changed?

A large wolf that Kagome recognized from the pack the used to run with Kouga stood by Ayame's side, giving Kagome a look that she could only surmise was a happy grin.

"Nee-san's back, eh?" So, they could talk? Why was she not more surprised by that? "Looking pretty good, too."

"Hey," Shippo gave the wolf a look, causing the 'grin' to widen even more.

Easing herself out of Kouga's hold – he didn't even resist, odd – it was then that Kagome noticed what was out of place. Just as Kouga's wolf stood by Ayame, all of their wolves stood intermixed together as if they were one group. Suddenly, it all clicked together causing a grin to spread across her face.

"So, Ayame-chan," she said, turning to the female wolf. "When did you two tie the knot?"

"Tie… the knot?" The wolf looked unfamiliar with the term.

"Um, become mates…?" she then offered.

"Oh!" Ayame was grinning now. "Nearly 30 winters ago…"

"35," Kouga corrected, looking away when they both turned to him in curiosity. "I remember because it was not too long after—"

"Kouga!" Shippo interjected. The wolf prince fixed him with a look. "I need you to give me a report – we all need to get together and decide what our next move is going to be."

Kagome frowned. For someone intent on putting an end to Naraku, Shippo was going out of his way to keep her in the dark about what was going on. Kouga locked eyes with him before muttering something about runts and raccoons, turning away from the group. Shippo followed after him, growling something at his back that Kagome couldn't understand, but caused the wolf to laugh out loud.

"Is Shippo the head of this, er, rebellion?" Kagome asked.

Ayame blinked, scratching her head. "What a strange question…" she murmured. "Come to think of it, I guess he is in a way. After all, the little guy's the one who managed to rally us all together and keep us from killing one another."

The miko laughed.

"She's serious," Kohaku said. Kagome sweatdropped.

"Still, in some ways… both he and Kouga share the responsibility," the female wolf youkai continued. "When you think about it, Shippo's still just a kid compared to Kouga, and he's got tons more leadership experience."

"All the same," Kohaku interjected. "Sempai's the one who does all the planning… he's the brains and Kouga-san's the brawn."

"Yeah," Ayame agreed, her tail flicking back and forth easily. "That about sums it up. Just don't let either of them hear you say so, though… Men… sheesh…" With a wave of her hand, she wandered off further into the village with Sumu, Toudou, and Jyou, who all seemed hell-bent on defending their gender.

Kagome waved to them as they walked away, though on the inside she was still puzzled. In the past, Shippo had never shown any fondness for the wolf prince – _especially_ considering how he had nearly been fed to his wolves during their first encounter years ago. Years ago… God, how had she gotten accustomed to this so quickly?

Despite all that, she couldn't help but continue to wonder about her young kitsune charge. What was it that had driven him to ally himself with Kouga?

Well… there was only one way to find out.

"Kohaku-chan…?" The girl in question blinked in surprise at being addressed so familiarly by someone she had just met… or perhaps it was because of who she happened to be. Hm… It took only a second for the girl to compose herself however, snapping to attention. Kagome merely grinned. "Are there any hot springs around here by any chance?"

oo

Two pairs of eyes that had been busy pouring over a map laid out before them rose upwards as the flap to their tent was lifted upwards to reveal Ayame, who stepped inside with a grin.

"Ah," Shippo let out a sigh of relief. "It's just you, Ayame."

"Just me?" She mock pouted.

"You mean you couldn't tell?" Kouga asked, smirking. "You're slipping, runt."

Shippo shrugged, rubbing his nose absently. "I've spent the last three weeks masquerading though human settlements pretending to be a 7 year old human, whaddya want from me?"

"Yeah, yeah," The wolf prince waved his words away, turning to his mate. "Where's Kagome?"

"With Kohaku-chan," she answered. "I think she said something about wanting to take a bath." At this, Shippo's tail perked up, causing the she-wolf to grin. "Yeah, don't even think about it, squirt."

"I wasn't!" he protested, sounding affronted even as his eyes kept glancing back to the hut's entrance.

"All right, back to business," Kouga interrupted. "You were explaining how Kagome managed to reappear after all this time…"

"Ooh, yes," Ayame chimed in. "And how is it that she's still so young? The way humans age she should be looking ancient by now!"

"You all remember how I told you Kagome was from another era, right?" The two wolves nodded, remembering also how that fact allowed the young miko's actions and behavior to make so much more sense. "Well, according to her, from the time she went away to the time she returned, only 3 weeks had passed."

"Only 3 weeks?"

"Versus 40 years? How's that even possible?"

The kitsune shrugged. "No one was ever really sure how the well actually worked." He said. "However, Kagome did say she had sensed a bad aura as she passed through this last time."

"A bad aura?" Ayame's emerald eyes darkened in concern.

"Well, that's no surprise. The whole of Musashi has become tainted since _he_ set up camp there… It's part of his new empire," Kouga spat, folding his arms across his chest. "even if his castle isn't there anymore."

"It's not?" Shippo asked.

The wolf prince shook his head. "He keeps moving it. We were tracking it for about a month when the damned thing up and disappeared on us. My guess is that it's further up North now."

Shippo frowned, the cogs in his wily brain working madly. So, Naraku had moved his castle again? So soon? He only did that when he felt too vulnerable to protect himself from vulnerable attacks. (Despite what he wanted everyone to think, Naraku still had periods in which his youkai blood waned, leaving him _almost_ human) For him to relocate himself so quickly… By kami, what had Kagome done to him?

"What's our move?"

Kouga grinned, his fangs gleaming in the dim light of the tent. "We kick him while he's down, that's what. If the baboon's so busy running away with his tail between his legs, he's probably too concerned to worry about barriers."

"It's an awful risk," Ayame cautioned. "We'll have to be careful. If he's really headed north like we think he is, you know what he's planning to do."

"Pah, that won't save him," Kouga scowled, clenching his fists. "We'll head him off and kill him before he can even get to his little stooge."

Shippo only nodded, his face uncharacteristically blank. Noting his silence, the two wolves turned to him.

"There'll be no hesitating this time, runt…" the wolf prince cautioned, his blue eyes boring into the younger youkai's. "You haven't forgotten what.—

"No, I haven't." Shippo cut him off. "I can go through with it – I will if I have to… it's just…"

"Kagome-chan still doesn't know, does she?" Ayame asked gently.

"No," he answered. "She hasn't asked… directly… but I know she's going to soon."

"What're you gonna tell her?" Kouga asked.

"The truth," Shippo answered. "What else can I tell her? Especially when he finds out--"

Kouga's eyes took on a steely glint as he sat forward, slamming his hands down on the low table in front of them. "He's not gonna find out!" he barked. "And he's not gonna lay a hand on her! I'll rip the damned things off first!"

"Kouga…" Shippo frowned warningly.

"Don't give me that shit, runt, you know damn well you're not gonna do anything." The wolf took a deep breath, sparing Ayame a meaningful look before turning back to the kitsune. "Ayame is my mate – nothing will change that. However, that doesn't change the fact that I care about Kagome. I may not want her as my woman anymore, but she's still important to me… There's no way I'm gonna stand by and let that _bastard _hurt her."

"If he even tries it," Shippo said softly. Luckily Kagome was not around to hear the viciousness underlying his tone. It was not of the little cub she remembered. "I'll kill him myself."

Ayame sat down between the two, heaving a heavy sigh. "Sheesh, you two, lighten up, will ya?"

Kouga blinked and grinned. "Hey, don't look at me… the runt's the one getting' all touchy."

"I am not!" he exclaimed, the fur on his tail bristling. "This is my kaachan we're talking about!"

"Kaachan… right… whatever," Ayame laughed, waving his words away. "I'm sure Kagome-chan can handle herself just fine." She leaned over towards the kit, grinning playfully. "Now, what about the other woman in your life?"

Shippo blinked. "Other woman…?" His face turned decidedly red. "You mean Kohaku?"

oo

Kagome silently thanked whoever had decided to set up camp near a cove of natural hot springs as she slowly immersed herself into one of its steamy depths. The heat was already doing wonders for her achy joints – it felt like years since she had last enjoyed a good soak.

She felt bad for allowing some of the village girls to set up a hut for her – she'd felt like she was imposing somehow, but when Kohaku offered to do it for her, she finally relented. After all, how was she supposed to implement her plan when her target was off somewhere else?

She glanced at the young girl kneeling at the edge of the water, staring into its murky depths. She looked very nervous.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like me to check on your hut for you?" she asked again.

Kagome sighed. "No, that's all right." Perhaps she was nervous about the spring water itself? "Just enjoy the water. It's only hot at first… you get used to it after a while."

The younger girl blinked at her, and then stared down at her feet again. "It's not that…" she murmured, staring down at the water. Kagome frowned slightly; what had happened to the self-assured girl who had come barreling into her not too long ago? "It's just… I'm not used to… um… I mean I usually bathe alone."

"Oh!" Kagome sat up, her eyes wide. She'd always known that this era's culture was so much different from her own, but she wondered had she overstepped her bounds somehow? She recalled how she'd asked Kohaku to direct her to the springs the girl had been more than happy to oblige. However, when she'd asked whether or not she would like to accompany her, the girl had seemed very surprised. Kagome had thought it would be a perfect opportunity to get to know her better. Had she presumed wrong somehow?

"I'm sorry," It was Kagome's turn to be embarrassed. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable…"

The raven-haired girl blinked and then shook her head. "No, no, it's not you, miko-sama!" she insisted. "It's just… well, you are a miko and I'm just a girl…"

"Don't think that at all!" Kagome admonished. "I'm no different from you, Kohaku-chan…" She scratched her nose absently. "I just figured this would be a chance for me to get to know you better."

"Me?" She looked down, flustered. "Oh, I see… I'm sorry… I wasn't expecting that…"

"Surely you hang out with the other girls here in the camp?"

Kohaku shook her head. "I'm a bit of a special case…"

Indeed. Kagome had noticed how the other girls acted around them when they approached Kagome. While the humans and youkai seemed to interact well enough around each other, Kagome supposed most of the human women carried out a supportive role in this little community, and given that Kohaku seemed to interact so closely with the heads of the group, it came as no surprise that they treated her a little differently. Kagome remembered Sango confessed to feeling that same sort of isolation; a lone woman in a man's world. Kagome had only begun to understand this.

Looking at her now, she may have been younger than her grandmother had been when they all first met, but Kagome could tell Kohaku was a Taijya. Trained to fight and battle demons, she did not waste time with things other girls her age usually engaged in. She was lean and athletic, tough enough to withstand a beating – at a glance it seemed she had the scars to prove it. Kohaku's face was open and sweet like most girls her age, but her eyes held wisdom beyond their years. Those eyes had seen things some adults couldn't even fathom. They knew what Sango and Miroku had known – she was the last of her kind, a lone sentinel against an unfathomably evil enemy that held the key to her destruction…

The _Kazaana._

As the younger finally stepped down into the steaming water, Kagome's eye caught the dark glove wrapped around her slim, right hand. The material was a deep blue, the even darker colored _mala _beads almost indistinguishable around her wrist. As she dunked her head under, rising back up to wring the water from her hair, the gold band on her middle finger hold the seal in place glinted in the dusky light.

It wasn't right.

The younger girl's voice ripped Kagome from her silent scrutiny. "You're right, mi—Kagome-sama," she chirped. "This water feels wonderful!"

_Kagome-sama_… Miroku had called her that, too… She smiled, nonetheless. "Yeah," she agreed. "I can just feel the dust from the road falling away. I can only imagine how I must have looked before."

"You've been traveling a long time?"

"A couple of weeks," Kagome answered, although she had to admit she wasn't entirely sure. "It seems like it was only yesterday…" She closed her eyes, pained. "Since Sango-chan and I would have to scream at Miroku-sama for peeping at us."

A wistful smile touched the girl's face as she sighed heavily. "I wish I could have met them." She said. "I've heard so many things about them that I feel like I _should_ know them."

"What are your parents like?" Kagome asked, starting at the frown that passed over the girl's face.

"They were farmers," she answered. "They were scared of the _Kazaana_ and what it would do to them if they tried to fight Naraku." The way the name was spat from her lips solidified the truth of her heritage. "But in the end it didn't matter… the moment my father opened it to kill the youkai that had cut down my mother… it swallowed them all whole."

Kagome gasped sharply, the water around her rippling as her body tensed.

"They didn't want to believe that humans and youkai could work together against that monster," Kohaku said. "They said staying alive – even if it meant living in constant fear – was more important." She laughed bitterly. "They died not much longer after that."

"How… did you survive all this?" Kagome asked.

"From an early age I was sick of them cowing to that wicked creature," she confessed. "They knew what he had done to their ancestors… the fact that the curse passed from my father's father to him could be used as a weapon against Naraku… but they were afraid. When I realized they weren't even going to try to fight back, I ran away."

"Ran away? Why?"

Kohaku stared down at the water. "I am the first born child in my family to be a girl… so I was born without the _Kazaana_… My parents thought this was a blessing." Her dark hair floated on the surface of the water, pooling around her, but neither girl took any notice. "Still, I didn't want to stand by and do nothing. I thought that if I trained and learned to become a taijya, I could fight his oppression even without use of the curse."

"So, you eventually learned, right?" Kagome asked. "Who did you learn from? And how did you end up with the _Kazaana_?"

"The moment my father vanished from this world, it appeared in my hand," Kohaku answered, completely disregarding her first question. Odd. "That evil man probably thought he was being funny."

"Have you used it?" Kagome asked.

"Of course," she replied. "Lots of youkai underestimate because of my size and the fact that I'm a girl, but when they do I make them realize their mistake with this." She grinned. "I may not have as much spiritual power as my grandfather, but I can write up sutras and ofuda. Plus, Shippo-sempai says I'm as good at slaying as my grandmother was."

Kagome nodded. "I know they're very proud of you."

"That's why I need an heir," Kohaku suddenly exclaimed. The miko blinked. "I can't let my line end with me!"

With the direction her thoughts had taken, Kagome had honestly forgotten about that… almost. She'd wanted to confront Shippo about this promise of his, but of course he'd slithered his way out of answering her questions… again.

"Any particular reason you chose Shippo to, ah, help you?" she asked, making sure to keep her tone conversational. She didn't disapprove really, but nor did she actually approve. Kohaku was still a girl – younger than her, at that! Granted, by years alone, Shippo was far older than both of them put together, but she had looked at him as her son! Even with 40 years behind him he still couldn't have been _that_ old! Even Sumu had said he was still a teen by youkai standards.

Despite everything, Kohaku had the good nature to blush, sinking further down into the water. "I'm not _really_ ready for children right now," she admitted. _Oh, thank God_. "But I want to be sure that I have someone for when the time comes." She paused, her face flushing in embarrassment. "I admit, I kinda asked a _lot_ of guys,"

'_And yet she's only 14?_' Kagome pulled a face. '_Yup, definitely of Miroku's ilk_.'

"But every time Sempai would run them off… it was annoying at first – I even asked Jyou-kun just to piss him off once. I don't know who was more freaked out, him or Sempai." She giggled a bit. "Eventually, he got fed up with me chasing after guys and said _he'd_ be the one to sire my child."

"So this is just an obligation…?"

Kohaku shook her head adamantly. "No, no…" She paused. "Well… it may have started out that way, but…" She ducked her head, her cheeks darkening further. "I was furious at first when he told me, but deep down I knew Shippo-sempai was my first and only choice. After all… he's done so much for me… when I had no one to look after me, he took me in and brought me here. He's my best friend…

"I know he was only trying to look out for me when he made that promise… after all, he's a youkai and I'm only human… but I want… I want to be with him… I want to be with him however possible, for as long as possible..."

Kagome remained silent for very a long time, her entire body frozen. Kohaku's words had struck a part of her that she had shut off the moment she had arrived in this skewed time period. She glanced over at the younger girl, no longer seeing the shadows of two of her closest friends, but of a girl who had felt strongly despite all the obstacles barring her way…

…Herself.

"You care about him very much, don't you?" she asked gently. Suddenly, she felt very old.

"No one else would ever think to bother with a little girl and her cursed hand." Kohaku said with a strained smile. "The human men here are brave, but they aren't stupid."

"Don't talk about yourself that way." Kagome admonished. "You are an amazing girl and I know Shippo can see that."

"You think so?" Kohaku asked quietly.

The miko nodded. "He agreed to sire a child for you – that's not something he would take lightly." She hoped. After all, the Shippo she had known had had the mind of an 8-year old, and had been quickly gaining the same reputation as the lecherous monk with which he traveled. How many young girls' hearts had he unwittingly captured? Yet, as far as she had known he'd had only two loves – mischief and candy. There really was no way for her to tell just how the kitsune felt about his young human ward… yet.

Needless to say, Kagome had decided on a new mission for herself.

Kohaku stared at the miko across from her, unsure of what to make of the fiery gleam present in her eye. "Uh… Kagome-sama…?"

oo

Back in the 'war-room', Shippo paused, a sudden chill racing down his spine.

"Something wrong, runt?" Kouga asked, quirking an eyebrow.

The kitsune glanced around, an uneasy smirk making its way across his face. "Heh… it feels like somebody just walked over my grave…" His tail twitched nervously as he stood up and exited the hut.

The two wolves exchanged looks before turning back to the map in front of them.

"Foxes…"

End Chapter 9


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer - Inu Yasha is not mine. Inu-Jasmine and Inu-Calypso, howerver are. They live in my house and eat my food, ergo they are mine. :hugz:

Miss Chang Po - Ew, now you're gonna smell like wet-dog the rest of the day...

:shrugs: I think it gives me character. P

Wufei - :shudders: Disgusting...

Author's Notes - I'm back, minna-san, I'm back! Sorry this chapter took so long but it seems like every time I turn around, somebody needs to use my computer for something! Is it my fault it's so supercool and functional?

Miss Chang Po - Yes... yes it is.

:pouts: I'm sure you're just saying that cuz you're jealous. But anyhoo, chapter 10 is a really juicy chapter, folks. Read and enjoy!

Chapter 10

The wind whipped across Kagura's face as she floated along, but she took no pleasure from it. She'd been sent on another errand only to return and discover that her 'master' had moved his castle yet again.

'_What's his deal?_' she thought to herself, scowling as the air began to darken with poisonous miasma – poisonous to anyone not under Naraku's 'employ' that is. '_He hardly ever used to move the castle around so much and now he does it every time his strength is up!_'

The fact that he was still reeling from Kagome's attack from weeks ago was an unsettling on. To see someone who seemed to exude such power and control be laid bare so completely by some slip of a girl was mind blowing to be sure. Naraku was having a hard time coping not only physical but mentally as well.

"_Bring me Kagome,_" he would tell her and she would head out only to find the castle gone upon her return.

'_I should just not bother coming back,_' she would think, but she knew to do so would be impossible. The dark jar in her _master's _quarters made it so. Thus, the dance would continue, leading Kagura to wonder: was he really trying to find the girl, or was he hiding from her?

The thought brought her up short as she broke through the miasma, touching down on palace grounds. There were several other youkai milling about the square, mostly some of his other incarnations – none of which she would dare call siblings. She did not acknowledge them, nor they her, as she walked into the building, her fan clicking in hand.

"Nothing?"

She turned to face the pale girl dress all in white, standing in an open doorway, the light seeming to be swallowed around her. Kagura smirked, closing her fan with a loud snap. "I'd have had an easier time if I didn't have to worry about this place moving about all the damn time. What the hell's he thinking of anyway?"

The girl remained silent, her dark eyes revealing nothing. "The Master… is not well."

"No kidding," she drawled, slipping on arm out of the outer layer of her kimono. "You'd think he'd find one spot, stick to it and keep it fortified rather than draining his strength hopping about all over the place."

"Master is not thinking clearly," the girl responded, her expressionless eyes widening as her words caught up to her.

"My, my," Kagura grinned, opening her fan once more. "Is my dear sister Kanna speaking out of turn? I fear my bad influence is starting to rub off on you."

Kanna remained silent, her expression slipping back into void mask.

"Relax," Kagura sighed. What use was teasing someone who wasn't going to react? "It's not like I'm gonna tell. Besides, I have to admit I'm curious, too."

"Curious?"

"What's so special about that Kagome-girl that he would go through all this trouble to find one person?"

"Jealous, Kagura?" The wind demoness froze as Naraku himself emerged from the shadows behind Kanna. His inky black hair hung more limply from his shoulders than normal, his sleeping robe hanging loosely over his shoulders. Beneath the silk material, the female youkai could see the numerous burns and bandages still covering his body. Kagura's eyes widened; she'd known he was still weak, but he should have healed by now!

Naraku smirked. "A mere human girl does what you cannot? How it must upset you so…"

She scowled, not rising to take the bait. After all, what would be the point? "Your orders?" she ground out.

The dark hanyou turned away from her, directing his attention to the pale girl beside him. "Have you been able to determine anything, Kanna?"

The girl lifted her mirror, peering into its depths. "She is with the rebels… that is all the mirror can tell me…

"Humph, they have hidden themselves well." Naraku paused and smirked. "No matter. They'll come out into the open soon enough – they think me vulnerable, after all."

Kagura wanted to say 'aren't you?' but wisely held her tongue. "What would you have me do in the meantime?"

Naraku turned to her. "Has there been any word from our friend out in the forest?"

She hmphed. "He didn't seem all that inclined to acquiesce to your request," she answered, remembering the rough treatment she had received from that crimson-eyed recluse. It was definitely not something she wished to endure again.

"How unfortunate. He shall have to be reminded of the arrangement we made all those years ago."

Kagura remained still, awaiting her new assignment.

"Kanna," The girl looked up, her face still void of emotion. "Have a group head south to find those rebels and eliminate them. Should they find a miko with them, tell them to bring her to me alive." He turned to walk back into his chambers. "It is time for us to remind everyone that Naraku's will shall be done."

00

"Have any of you seen my kaasan or Kohaku around?"

The two human girls busy taking down clothes lines turned their attention to the kitsune, tittering and blushing heavily.

"They went to the springs if I recall, Shippo-sama," the first girl answered, trying not to swoon at the way his long, lush tail swooped back and forth. She wished she could just grab hold of it – but the last time a girl had dared to do so, it had yielded very _interesting_ results. Granted, she was older, and could handle a tanto well enough, but having to tangle with the young taijya girl just wasn't worth the hastle.

Shippo scratched his chin, debating. He was well aware that while he would always be Kagome's son, there was no way she was going to permit him walking in on them in the midst of a bath. Kohaku wouldn't mind, but he really didn't need his mother knowing that they sometimes bathed together, now did he?

"Troublesome…"

"If you'd like to speak to Kohaku-chan," the second girl, using her laundry basket as a shield of sorts – she liked to worship from afar, really- said timidly. "I think she's changing in her tent."

The glint that entered his eye did not go unmissed; the girls swooned again, nonetheless. Yes, Miroku had been an undue influence, it couldn't have been helped. "Um, if either of you see Sumu, tell him to go check on Kagome for me, would you?"

Both squeaked their affirmation, all but jumping at the chance to complete some task for their beloved, foxy idol.

"Yes! Right away, Shippo-sama!"

As they both skittered away, Shippo paused, scratching his head in confusion. '_Was it something I said…?_' Once again, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind, continuing on his way until he came across the large tent that just screamed, '_Ko-chan lives here!_' As it was a tent, there was no place to knock, so Shippo decided to walk right in—

Only to find himself quickly pinned underneath his young charge once again.

The young girl was wearing only a light under-kimono, her dark hair hanging loosely about her shoulders. She fixed him with a rather put-out frown.

"Being perverted again?" she asked.

Grinning, the fox youkai gave her a '_that's a pot calling the kettle black_' look. "You know," he said absently. "You really should try to sense my presence a bit better."

She sulked slightly. "Who's to say I didn't know it was you?"

"Then you chose to tackle me to the ground because…?"

She paused, her eyes sparkling as she gave him a mischievous grin. "Maybe I like having the upper hand over you every once in a while?" she said. "After all, you could have very easily moved out of the way."

This was true, but then there was the possibility she might fall and get hurt. He could never allow that. Plus, there was also the fact that he liked being tackled by her – not that he had to tell her so, of course.

At the slight hint color on his cheeks, Kohaku smiled in victory. Extracting herself from over top of him, she went back to towel-drying her hair. "Anything interesting to report?"

"There've been a couple new developments, yeah," the kitsune rose off the floor easily, moving over to sit down on the small futon he sometimes slept on when in her tent. "But we'll be debriefing everyone later."

"Oh," An easy silence fell over the pair.

"So…" Kohaku paused in the finger-combing of her hair, keeping her back to her guardian. "What do you think of her?"

"Kagome-sama?"

"M-hm."

"She's very nice. She's everything you said she would be."

A pause. "You sound disappointed."

Kohaku flushed, looking down at her lap. "I'm not disappointed… I just didn't expect your description of her to be so… spot-on, I guess…"

Shippo sat up, giving the human girl a small frown. "You thought I was exaggerating?"

Kohaku frowned. "You're a kitsune, Sempai… I thought you were making her up."

Shippo's expression bordered between angry and hurt. "When have I ever lied to you?"

"Never…"

"Then why…"

"So you wouldn't have to keep your promise!"

Aquamarine eyes widened in surprise and the kitsune sat back as if he had been struck. "Ko-Kohaku-chan…"

"I'm sorry," she said, wringing her hands through her hair nervously. "I'm being stupid."

"No, no…" For once, the kitsune found he could think of nothing to say. He glanced at her, noting that her hands hand gone from her hair and her attention was now on the beads around her wrist. "Is it bothering you…?"

She jumped slightly, shaking her head. "No, I just… get worried that…" Her eyes watered briefly, but then she seemed to gain control over herself. Her shoulders straightened, and she let go of her beads, turning her attention to her clothes laid out on her futon.

"Kohaku…?"

"I need to get dressed now, Sempai," she said softly. "It's cold."

He could see what he called, the _Houshi Mask_ sliding into place. Miroku had always pasted a certain expression on his face when the topic of conversation drifted to something he wasn't comfortable with; Kohaku had inherited that same face, among other things. As far as she was concerned, they were done talking.

'_The hell we are…_' Shippo folded his arms across his chest, studying her. "Get dressed then."

"I'm going to," she said simply. "Then I'm going to check on Kagome and see if she has any preferences for dinner."

Shippo resolve crumbled slightly. "You know where she is?"

Kohaku turned to study him. "She went back to the springs to meditate." She said. "She looked like she had a lot on her mind."

The kitsune frowned, rising to his feet. "I guess I'll go check on her then." The frown remained on his face as he exited the hut.

'_Damn it…_'

00

After setting what meager belongings she carried with her into the small hut some of the village girls had been kind enough to furnish for her, Kagome headed back to the springs where she and Kohaku had shared their little heart to heart. There were several large rocks grouped together that separated the small springs from one another and Kagome chose one of the larger boulders to sit upon, contemplating her current situation once again.

The well had malfunctioned somehow, sending her 40 years into the future of the era she had once known. In this time, Naraku had taken advantage of her absence to finally gain control over everything.

A scowl formed on her face as she remembered his words and part of her still couldn't believe it to be true. In her later battles she'd finally been able to prove herself to be more help than hindrance, but she still couldn't understand how her absence could be such a deciding factor in the fight against that dark hanyou. She could see the Shikon no kakera for sure, but the majority of them had already been in Naraku's possession. Surely a few spiritual arrows here and there couldn't have made such a difference.

'_But there was that power from before…_' she mused, remembering that raw energy she'd summoned to her aid before. She'd felt it churning beneath the surface before during her training, but she'd yet been able to tap into it again. Perhaps extreme duress was necessary, but Kagome's biggest fear was that she wouldn't be able to call upon the power when necessary.

Images of her friends' mangled bodies entered her mind and Kagome tensed, he body freezing in fear.

"Miko-sama--?"

Kagome turned towards the voice, her hand trailing spiritual energy. However, she quickly realized the presence behind her was not hostile and it took everything not to ram her hand into the badger-youkai's face.

"Sumu-san!" She jumped back, her face pale. "I-I'm sorry!"

The badger youkai took a step back, arms held up in surrender. "Yare, yare, Miko-sama… no harm, no foul, right?"

Kagome bowed her head apologetically. "You surprised me," she admitted.

The youkai grinned, scratching his head. "Yeah, well, I gotta admit I was curious about the young miko who was able to hand that baboon his ass so easily." Kagome flushed. "The kid has only great things to say about his 'kaasan'."

Kagome stared down at the water, her voice soft. "Thank you for looking after him," she said.

Sumu sat down on a neighboring rock, reaching into his gi for a small wooden flute, playing a few notes experimentally. "I didn't do all that much," he admitted. "He's plenty tough already… he just needed somebody to watch out for him until he could bite as well as he barked."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"It was Shippo-kun's idea to rally everyone together against that Baboon punk, but no one would really take the kit seriously – even if he was backed by the wolves."

"Wait, wait, you mean to say Shippo-chan had already joined with Kouga-kun?" Kagome asked.

The badger youkai rubbed his stubbled chin thoughtfully. "I don't know the details, but Shippo-kun said he headed to the North to keep an eye on the child of your human friends." He said. "At the same time he was rallying youkai who were tired of being oppressed. Then he heard that Naraku had gotten to the monk and taijya's kid… but his daughter got away…"

"Kohaku-chan…" Kagome murmured.

"Yeah, she's something… thought she could take on every youkai on her own – without even a lick of training at that. Hell, if Shippo-kun hadn't tracked her down when he had… she'da been oni-bait for sure."

"Shippo-chan went to look for her?"

Sumu nodded. "Took him a couple years, I think… I don't think he even knew what she looked like, but when he heard what happened to her folks he set off on his own to look for her." He smirked. "Hasn't let her out of his sight since."

Kagome paused, rearranging her thoughts. "What do you think… about his promise to her…?"

"Promise?" He scratched his head. "Oh, about siring her child. Well… I don't profess to know all of what goes on – if anything does – in that head of his. But he's an honorable kid… he wouldn't have made that promise to her if he didn't mean it."

The miko smiled softly.

"Being a youkai and all, I don't know much about the ways of you humans and emotions… but I can tell you one thing – Shippo loves that girl, almost as much as he—" He blinked in surprise as the young girl jumped towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she sobbed. "Miko-sama?"

"Thank you for telling me, Sumu-san!" she exclaimed. "Thank you so much!"

The badger youkai's face registered confusion as he patted her head awkwardly. "You're welcome?"

Humans… he didn't think he'd ever understand them.

00

"We're going after Naraku."

She nodded, her face one of grim resolution. She'd known the moment she staggered away from his castle, angry and exhausted, that she would have to return and face him again for a final time. After all, hadn't that been their overall goal? Hers, and Miroku's, and Sango's, and…

'_Inu Yasha…_'

Shippo seated himself beside her in front of the campfire, glancing at her with worry touching his expression. "You okay, Kagome-kaa?" he asked. "You don't have to worry – that monster's not gonna touch you. We'll beat him this time – no question."

She stared into the flames, remaining silent a few moments.

"Kaasan…" He leaned closer to her, studying her face for some sign of her distress. Sumu had mentioned her crying earlier – though he neglected to mention what had caused her tears, much to the kitsune's annoyance and distress. What was this, 'hide things from Shippo' day? "What's wrong?"

"Everything's wrong," she said softly, her hands clenched in her lap. "This whole time… everything is all wrong! Sango and Miroku are dead… Kohaku is… you know she's in love with you, don't you!"

The kitsune froze, his aquamarine eyes widening in surprise. His cheeks flushed and he turned his head away. "Of course," he answered, struggling to maintain his composure. "I'm her semp—"

"I _don't_ want to hear that!" Kagome exclaimed, and Shippo shut his mouth with an audible snap. Several humans and youkai that had been seated around the fire suddenly decided it was time to get scarce. "You made this girl a promise, and I want you to tell me whether or not you were being serious."

He tensed, staring at her in disbelief. He had not expecting this at all. "Of _course _I was serious! I meant every word! It's just that…" He paused, faltering as his conversation with the girl came to mind. Part of him wished he had mastered the _Houshi Mask. _

"What?" Kagome pressed.

"Well, I…" His eyes flickered to hers before falling to the ground. "Kohaku's heard all these stories about her family… what great warriors Miroku and Sango were," His eyes darkened with sadness, before clearing again. "Since then she's been dead set on continuing their legacy. Well…" He faltered. "Her grandfather's more specifically… You remember how Miroku used to be," Kagome winced. "So busy worrying about his duty that he almost missed what was right in front of him."

Kagome was quiet for a long time. "Were they…" She paused, weighing her words. "Were they happy… in the end…?"

Shippo studied her face, his eyes gleaming in the firelight. "They missed you," he said quietly. "We all did."

"Shippo-chan…" she murmured.

"Ko-chan…" He paused, trying to find words. "She's like me… I wanted to avenge my father's death so badly… but I knew I wasn't strong enough on my own to do it… but she's young… she wants to avenge her family, but she can't do it alone. There was a point where she thought the only way to get back at what Naraku had done was to find someone willing to knock her--"

"Shippo---!"

The kitsune, however, was on a roll. "It's the truth! She's brash, she's reckless, and she's stubborn! She always wants to do things on her own, she never listens to any of my warnings, she's--"

'_She's just like Inu Yasha…_'

"…And I'm scared something's gonna happen to her, so I just went ahead and promised her—" He stopped as he felt her hand touch his cheek, turning it to face hers. Slate gray eyes stared back at him, shimmering in the light.

"Nothing bad is going to happen," she said. Kagome fixed the kitsune a look of fierce determination.

"I know that," he said, trying to sound certain. "But…" However, his façade fell and he placed one of his clawed hands over hers, whimpering slightly as he rested his head against her shoulder. Though she was surprised by the action, she didn't object to it. No matter what, Shippo was still her son. "When you left… I thought I'd never see you again…"

She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry…"

He shook his head. "It hurt, but a part of me thought… in your time, at least you were safe from all this… you had a chance…" He closed his eyes. "But Kohaku… this is all she knows now… I can't hide her away somewhere when it gets too rough…"

"Kohaku-chan is strong… you have to have faith in that."

He nodded. "I know… but she's human… It's bad enough that I'll outlive her, but I don't want to lose her now… not this way…" He opened his eyes and looked up at her, staring straight into eyes. "I don't want anyone else I love taken away from me."

They both remained silent for several moments. What could they really say?

When it seemed as if an eternity had already passed, Kagome dared to speak again. "Well, you don't have to worry anymore. I'm here now, aren't I?" She smoothed his cheek before giving his hair an affectionate ruffle, causing the kitsune to give her a small smile. "I gave Naraku a good ass-kicking last time and now we're gonna track him down and finish the job!"

"Kaasan…"

"Now _that's_ what we wanna hear!"

The two looked up to see Sumu and Ayame approaching them, flanked by Shippo's two human friends, Jyou and Toudou.

"That's the spirit, Miko-sama," Sumu grinned, his tail swishing lazily behind him. "That's the kind of kick-ass attitude we're gonna need to beat that Baboon-skin wearing son of a bitch!"

"And after he's taken care of, then you can marry Kohaku-chan and have as many kitsune-babies---"

"I hope you guys have good news," Shippo interrupted drolly. To say his face was red would be an understatement. "'Cuz that's the only reason I can see you guys having for interrupting us."

Ayame grinned. "Well, aren't we the cheeky one today?" The kitsune frowned.

"Relax, Shippo-chan," Kagome grinned. "These guys just spared you from my inquisition yet again. Consider yourself lucky."

The redheaded fox youkai had the good nature to blink and grin.

"So, what's going on?" Kagome asked, her expression turning serious again.

"Kouga's second recon-group came back," Ayame answered. "We've got a big group of youkai headed our way."

Shippo rose to his feet. "So, the baboon's not as vulnerable as we thought."

"Maybe not," Sumu ventured, "He probably hopes this ploy of his will keep us off his trail… indefinitely."

"Everyone's notified? "Shippo asked, turning to Toudou.

"Sure enough!" he answered. "The non-fighters are packing up while everyone else is getting ready for a battle."

Kagome rose to her feet, fixing the others a look. "Is it possible for us to divide our forces?" she asked. The others glanced at her. "I agree with Sumu – this is probably an attempt to get us off his trail while he finishes his recuperation. We can't wait until he's back to full strength."

"Yeah, one group holds off his ambush while the other tracks his castle." Sumu grinned, his fangs glinting. "I knew I liked this girl."

"How big a force are we talking about here?" Shippo asked. "How do we divide ourselves up?"

"I'm going after Naraku." Kagome replied.

"Naturally," Ayame grinned.

"I'm going with you." Shippo said.

"Naturally," Ayame's grin widened, though it had a slight predatory look to it at the thought of a battle. "And Kohaku?"

"She stays," Shippo said firmly. Kagome threw him a look. "So long as none of those bugs get in the way, Kohaku-chan can probably take on most of the group on her own." There was a note of pride in his voice that had Kagome struggling to keep from smiling.

"And Sumu an' I will be there to take out the stragglers," the female wolf added.

Jyou laughed and Toudou pulled a face. "Sure, make us sound useless."

"Of course," Shippo grinned, his tail twitching back and forth. "You two are here for comic relief."

The two human men hung their heads and groaned in feigned remorse.

"Yo, runt!" Kouga appeared, a cloud of dirt and leaves whirling around him. "We're moving out! Get your scrawny ass in gear!" He turned to Kagome, grinning roguishly like something out of a fairytale.

"You ready, Kagome?"

"As I'll ever be,"

Shippo's tail was still twitching, though now in agitation. "I'm not a runt!"

"Yeah, yeah," Kouga waved his words away, his own tail drifting back and forth lazily, amused at the young kit's frustration. "An' I suppose next you'll be tellin' me that'cha ain't a raccoon?"

"Arrghh!" The Kitsune took a swipe at him, none too surprised when the wolf aptly jumped out of the way. "Ayame, come get this dumb ass! We have work to do!"

This sobered Kouga up a bit as he landed nimbly beside his mate, his expression solemn. Ayame's tail brushed against his forearm, her green eyes locking with his. "You better be careful."

"What're you talking about?" A cocky grin threatened to appear. "I'm always careful!"

The others present suddenly contracted similar cases of upper-respiratory distress. Amidst the coughing and hacking that followed, muffled exclamations of '_yeah right_' and '_bullshit_' could be heard. Kouga only snorted.

"Anyways… that goes for you, too, Kagome-chan," the female wolf cautioned. "I'm willing to bet that you're that Baboon-bastard's main target."

Kagome frowned, remembering the looks he had given her whilst she had been in his captivity. Wholesome they had not been. "Lemme guess, since Kikyo's gone, he's obsessing over _me_ now?" Everyone present tensed at the mention of the dead priestess, but their reactions went unnoticed. "Sheesh, this guy never does anything by halves, does he?"

Sumu's dark eyes went skyward. "The wind's getting restless," he cautioned. "You guys better head out while your window's still open."

Shippo nodded, leading the group back to the main encampment. Kagome started in surprise to find that what had been the mini-village was now a large caravan of wagons, horses, and cattle all packed and ready to head out. Seeing her awed expression, the kitsune offered a small grin. "What can I say? We're good at what we do."

"Sempai! Kagome-sama!" Kohaku came towards them, decked out head to toe in her taijya gear. Her bodysuit was the traditional black, the cloth straps holding her armor in place were a dark blue. Kagome could tell that she had a blade concealed beneath her arm guard, and that there was a katana and a wakizashi secured at her hip. However, what really caught the miko's attention was the large, crescent-shaped boomerang she carried on her back, and Miroku's battle-worn shakujo in her hands.

The girl followed her eyes to the boomerang and smiled. "It's called _Tsukiraiha_," she said. "Grandmother's was broken beyond repair so I made this one myself." She handed the shakujo to Shippo.

"Miroku entrusted it to me," he explained before she could ask. "It still contains some of h is power, although I prefer to channel my own youki through it. It gives it a pretty nice boost."

Kagome recalled the kitsune using some of the monk's sutras to increase the power of his foxfire, but to do the same with a holy object... "It lets you do that?" she wondered.

He shrugged. "It's not like I haven't gotten a lot of exposure to it over the years," he explained. "All it took was building up enough stamina to channel my own power through it."

The miko smiled at her surrogate son. "You really have become a great youkai, Shippo." She said.

"Kagome-sama," the young taijya handed her a fresh quiver of arrows. "You'll look after him won't you?"

Shippo opened his mouth to make some sort of comment, but Kagome cut him off. "No one's going to hurt my son," she answered. She took Kohaku's hand in her, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'll make sure he comes back to you."

Something passed over the younger girl's face, making her at last seem her actual age. She smiled back at her, gratitude evident on her face. "You take care, too… Kagome-sempai."

Kagome laughed softly, nodding. "I will, Kohaku-chan," Releasing her hand, she then mounted Shippo's horse and turned her eyes to the skies. Her eyes darkened slightly; Sumu's prediction had been correct. The feeling was faint, but she could definitely sense a large concentration of _jyaki_ coming their way.

Kouga approached her side, grabbing the horse's reigns to steady it. The tense atmosphere was making all the animals a bit jumpy. "How far off now?" he asked.

"They're still some ways off," she answered. "But I'll be able to sense their presence for sure long before they actually come at us."

The wolf prince nodded, impressed. "Kit was right; you have gotten stronger."

Kagome smiled, though her eyes were serious. "I had to," she said. "You didn't expect me to stay on the sidelines forever, did you?"

He smirked ruefully. "You would have been safter." Blue eyes turned to the kitsune and his taijya ward, engaged in a quiet but rushed conversation. The raven haired girl looked as she were trying to get some point across, whilst struggling to contain her emotion at the same time. She managed to stay firm, however, nodding at whatever the red-haired youkai was saying in response.

"Kagome…" The miko turned at the sudden change in the wolf's tone. "I'm sure you know what kind of freak we're dealing with in Naraku," She nodded. "But he's even more ruthless than before… No matter what you see… or what you think you see…"

"Kouga," Kagome frowned, the uneasy weight settling itself over her chest again. "If there's something you're not—"

Kouga rested a hand on her knee, his light blue eyes sharp and entreating. "Kagome, no matter what happens, do _not _let your guard down. Not even for a second, understand?"

Her frown deepening, Kagome found herself nodding her head, studying the prince. Gone was the cocky attitude, the self-assured threats – Kouga was a general preparing to lead his troops into a battle… one against an enemy even he was not sure they could defeat.

'_We _will _defeat him…_' Kagome thought to herself, clenching her hands tightly. '_We have to win… or we all die…_'

"All right, everyone!" Shippo hopped into the saddle behind her, reaching around her to grasp the reigns. "Everyone knows what's going to happen. Everyone's got their own mission to carry out, so by Kami make it count!"

A rowdy affirmation rose up from all those present, human and youkai alike.

"Anything goes wrong, we all know were to meet…" Kouga said. Everyone nodded. "All right, let's move out!"

The area soon filled with the sound of thunderous footsteps as the first group took off, their destination the North. They would find Naraku and they would face him.

'_And,_' Kagome thought as the wind whipped through her hair. '_I will finally get some answers…_'

End Chapter 10


End file.
